Sailor Moon: A Call to Arms Part Three: Rising Tide
by Gray Dusk
Summary: Powerful and unreliable allies, post-traumatic teenage baggage, the clash of blades, the spatter of blood, tempers, feelings, hormones, the fate of humanity in the balance, and there's a test tomorrow! Just another day in the lives of magical girls and those caught up in their wake. And when enemies suddenly become friends, some grudges are too deep to simply forgive and forget.
1. Chapter 1

**Sailor Moon: A Call to Arms**

 **Part Three: Rising Tide**

 **Chapter One**

 _But Tomorrow Never Came_

They were too slow. The daggers flew, and before Sailor Saturn or Sailor Pluto could stop the attack, they soared above the pink _val'kurei's_ earthen shard that shot out of the ground in a meaningless effort to stop them, too late to end their flight.

But it didn't matter. The blades flew past Sailor Moon, and suddenly, Flouria stopped crying. She looked down, shut her eyes in disbelief, then opened them again. Three silvery blades had sunk deep into her chest up to the hilt. While she didn't feel any pain, she knew what the spreading coldness in her body meant.

"But…" she whispered. "… but there are so few of us left…" She pushed Telnyi's head out of her lap, closed her only friend's lifeless eyes, and tried to stand. "No… I… I can't die… I have to help rebuild…" The world began spinning, and she fell back against the giant oak that had helped killed Telnyi, and slowly slid down.

"Was this the only way?" she asked.

 _No, but it was the only way she knew._

She really _was_ dying. Another tree was talking to her, now.

 _Those powers are not yours. You must give the lighting back before you can join the forest._

 _Join… the forest…_ The world blurred as she saw something… new. _But… I have to go home… help rebuild…_

And then, the horrifying truth was revealed to her in an instant by that strangely all-knowing newness. She saw what had become of her world during her absence. There was hardly anything left to rebuild. She had been lied to. There was nothing for her there.

There was nothing for her anywhere…

 _I am so sorry, my child. Only death awaits you. I have lost a daughter this day. She died helping you. Let me take you as my own. Be my little girl. Be my daughter. I can save you._

The world drifted back into focus as a familiar voice spoke in a once familiar, but now forgotten tongue. Pethospoe was kneeling next to her, pleading to her in Aschothiyli, a language that suddenly seemed alien to her.

"I can't understand you," she replied softly in Japanese.

"Just hold still," Makoto said as she kneeled by her other side. "Hotaru- _chan_ will have you fixed up in no time."

"No, she won't." Flouria placed a hand on Makoto's chest, and both of their foreheads glowed with the symbol of Jupiter as she returned the stolen powers.

"Please," Pethospoe begged. "You can't die."

"It'll be alright," she replied with a weak smile.

 _My daughter, you will rise again, strong as oak, and sure as the ground itself._

Then, everything became…

 _Different…_

*.*.*

The moment Hotaru saw Flouria's wounds, she knew the young girl was beyond her healing abilities. "Neptune…" Not all was lost. There was another she could still save! She dropped her Silence Glaive and ran to Fake Sailor Neptune.

"Hotaru, no!" Setsuna ran after her. "You're too weak! You'll only get yourself killed!"

Hotaru ignored the warning. She had just watched a twelve-year-old girl receive a mortal wound for reasons she couldn't even begin to fathom, She wasn't about to let Fake Sailor Neptune slowly bleed out. She could at least save her! She could at least…

But Hotaru slowed her pace as she saw her injured foe.

"No…"

Fake Sailor Neptune smiled at her weakly. Her chest was soaked in her own blood, and there was a small pool spreading from the side as it flowed over. "You… really did… try to save me…"

"What happened?" Forcing away the nearly paralyzing pain, Hotaru kneeled next to Fake Sailor Neptune.

"Klijargan… internal anatomy… is reversed… from yours."

Hotaru took Fake Sailor Neptune's hand into hers. "I'm so sorry."

"Me too… I had forgotten that people like you… existed in this universe. I wonder what... kind of a person I would have become if… things had been different. Your… name?"

"Hotaru."

"My name is… Horintai… It's… nice… to meet…"

*.*.*

"No…" Testuya moaned in Japanese. "It's not okay…"

Makoto put her hand on Tetsuya's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Tetsuya opened his mouth, but before he could beg for the impossible, the impossible happened. A soft sound of creaking and cracking wood emanated as the tree Flouria was lying against turned a darker brown, and the ground around her turned dark and gray… and dead… And in the middle of it all, Flouria's form turned a more lively shade of brown as a single flower bloomed from her forehead. She was alive. She was _alive!_

Makoto touched her hand. It was cold and rigid, but she _felt_ the life in her. "She's alive…" she whispered. Tetsuya looked at her in disbelief. "She's alive!" Makoto pat Flouria on the shoulder. "Come to us when you've finished healing," she said softly.

Tetsuya said nothing as he turned to look at Telleschya's body. She was covered by a brown blanket of magically woven leaves, compliment of Rin, no doubt. Four more lifeless figures lay next to hers, also covered by blankets of leaves. Hotaru slowly kneeled next to him, and he turned to regard her with empty, distant eyes. "Ahtnamas?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

His expression remained the same. "Where?"

"Down the ravine's edge," she said softly, wincing from pain with every syllable. "Say goodbye to her."

After another moment of silence, he shook his head. "No. I didn't get to say goodbye to Shasha, and Ahtnamas never really meant anything to…"

Despite the pain she was in, Hotaru managed to deliver a slap across his face that knocked him onto his back. "You're a man. Act like one! I know you cared for her. Say goodbye to her. Whatever happened between the two of you, she at least deserves that much."

Tetsuya looked back at her, then hopped to his feet to catch her as she fell forward. "I should throw you down there with her," he snarled.

Despite the threat, Hotaru managed a weak smile. "As long as you do your part… battle buddy."

Tetsuya gasped. "Hotaru… I… I didn't mean…"

Hotaru wrapped a trembling around his back in a hug. "I know."

"I've got her," Usagi said, gently taking Hotaru from Tetsuya and easing her to the ground.

"I'm… going to get…" he mumbled softly.

Usagi nodded.

*.*.*

Usagi felt the warm, sticky wetness from Hotaru's wounds as she held the girl in her arms. She wasn't gushing blood, but she was in pretty bad shape. "You're _not_ dying on me today," she said with not even a millimeter of room for argument in her voice.

Hoturu blinked a fresh streak of tears down her face. "Probably… not." She gritted her teeth and wined pitifully as the waves of pain rolled through her, no longer supplanted as the adrenaline in her blood began to thin. "It's too hot… and I'm in too much pain for… any shock to be setting in. I know what day and time… it is, and there's no… internal damage." She forced a pitiful smile at Usagi. "After everything you did two… years ago, I'm not going to… die in you arms today."

"Mamo- _chan_ …" Usagi realized that Mamoru was probably unemployed now, frantically trying to find a way to get to Hokkaido after feeling his powers return to him. Ami and Luna hadn't had any time to make new watches after Fake Sailor Mercury had stolen all of the spares from her room, so there was no way to keep him abreast of the current events. He was probably going insane being trapped hundreds of miles away.

"He'll be fine," Hotaru said softly, trembling in Usagi's arms.

"He's given up so much for me. And because of me. Oh, if it wasn't for me, he'd be working on his second doctorate, not trying to repair his reputation from his sudden disappearance two years ago. I could've had a _Doctor_ Mamo- _chan_ …"

Hotaru smiled through the pain. "You two can still play doctor."

Usagi's face changed hues to match the color of a standard Klijargan military uniform.

Hotaru's smile faded and she winced. "I sure could use a doctor right now…"

"It's not your fault, Usagi- _chan_ ," Ami said, once again the Senshi of Ice. "None of this is. You never asked for this. None of us did. We're just doing the best that we can with what we have."

"I know things haven't always been pleasant," Haruka said, summoning her Space Sword to her open palm. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"We're more than just a team," Michiru said as she dismissed her Deep Aqua Mirror. "We're family."

"And when the going gets tough," Minako said, swinging her Love Me Chain.

Makoto, once again Sailor Jupiter, quietly put a safe distance between her and that horrible metal whip.

"Rei- _chan_ ," Usagi said, "you missed your cue."

They all looked around. The Senshi of Fire was nowhere to be seen.

*.*.*

"Unbelievable…" Tetsuya said, looking at the circle of gray soil and withered plant life. He knelt down beside Ahtnamas and rolled her onto her back. She was covered in gray soot that was once soil, and there was a large tear in her vest. He inspected the wound, still wet with her blood. There was a _lot_ of blood, but no actual wound. He rolled her back onto her stomach and felt for a wound through the tear on the back of her vest. Once again, a lot of blood, but no wound.

She was alive. "Nice try," he said, chuckling a hollow laugh that was almost a sob as he materialized his sword. Horintai's dying words did not excuse her of the murders she had committed with Schamya and Glaeshya. Telnyi was the worst, or so he had thought. What Ahtnamas, and then Telleschya had done, was worse. _Much_ worse!

They were liars and betrayers. They were typical Klijargans. Their lies had poisoned Telnyi, Heggith and Jihanna to their barbaric, egomaniacal view of their superiority over all other sentient life in the galaxy. And worst of all, they had tricked him into thinking he was their friend. What a fool he had been! "Time to make the universe a better place," he hissed as he raised his sword, but a split second before he could deliver the killing blow, someone grabbed his sword arm from behind and yanked him down.

*.*.*

Tetsuya rolled as soon as he hit the ground and swept his leg out, catching Rei behind the knee. She fell to the ground and he was on top of her in an instant, painfully pinning her arms with his legs and holding the sword to her throat.

"You… but… how are you still alive?! You really _were_ the worst of them all!"

 _His eyes… they're red…_ Rei understood immediately that he didn't recognize her through the magic of the transformation and quickly powered down. Tetsuya made a constrained whine as he realized that she was Rei Hino, and not Telnyi. Although he still held the sword against her throat, she smiled at him. "It's okay," she said. "She'll never hurt you or anyone else ever again."

Tetsuya rolled off of her, then stumbled to his feet, mumbling in half Japanese, and half another language Rei didn't recognize as his eyes slowly returned to their familiar hue of hazel. He stopped stammering and silently pointed at Ahtnamas with a trembling hand. "No," he rasped after a moment.

Rei knelt next to Ahtnamas and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."

His face twisted into an angry snarl, but no words came out of his mouth. After a tense moment, he turned away. In a silent blink, he was gone. She could only hope that he had gone back to the shrine. She looked at the top of the ravine to see the other Senshi looking down at her, and she silently prayed that they hadn't witnessed everything that she had.

*.*.*

"Brother, relax," Pala'din said to Segraius, who was pacing nervously back and forth as the ship's lift took them to the transporter. Thirty minutes had passed, and the one-sided battle would surely be over.

"But we do not know what has happened," he said, still pacing.

"I know. Some high ranking clergyman proclaims that all Emulators are vile, and they can't use transporter or monitoring tech or spells. He probably got turned down for a date by one of them."

The disinherited prince stopped pacing and glared at his adopted brother.

"Ahtnamas would pop you in the mouth if she saw your lack of faith in her. C'mon! Seven against two? Each of them is stronger than the _Val'kurei_ herself, and Pethospoe was still just a Scout when he ran away."

The glare softened as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened. "Of course," he said softly as the two walked hastily to the pad.

"Cheer up. Ahtnamas is gonna use her position as liberator to steal you away from Dortheena."

He smiled at that thought. "We would both be grateful to her for that."

"Transport in three… two…" the young technician called out, and Segraius and Pala'din accepted the sensation of becoming one with everything and nothing at the same time as they were instantaneously teleported down to the Earth's surface.

*.*.*

"We've got company," Haruka said as the other four Senshi who were with her faced the white flash. Four of them were standing over the body of the Emulator who had stolen their powers. Makoto stood over Telnyi's body in Rei's place.

The two strangers stood still as statues before the dark skinned one spoke. "Ahtnamas…"

"She is under our protection."

The light skinned one nodded his head, a look of relief flooding his face, matching the dark skinned one's look. "There are only five bodies."

Makoto pointed to where Flouria had entered some sort of healing stasis. "Flouria is…" she shrugged. "She isn't dead. We don't know what happened to her."

"I know what's going to happen to you," the light skinned one replied. "You're Pethospoe's whore, aren't you?"

Makoto gave him a half smile, cocking one eye. "I am his girlfriend, if that's what you mean."

"Did he pay you like the others?"

Makoto laughed. "You bitter little _bug_. You lost this battle. It wasn't even close! Your words are just the words of a pathetic, sore loser."

The light skinned one opened his mouth to speak again, but the dark skinned one stopped him, speaking in what Haruka could only guess was Klijargan. The word Ahtnamas was said very clearly, so she could make a few assumptions as to the course of their conversation. The light skinned one nodded, then smiled menacingly at Makoto. "We'll get her back."

"Perhaps," Haruka said curtly. "I believe you two can handle the arrangements to lay your fallen warriors to rest." She stared hard at them for a moment, knowing that Emulators were frowned upon for some reason in Klijargan society. "They died fighting…"

"They will be honored as any other who fell heroically in battle," the dark skinned one said. "You have my word."

Haruka nodded silently and looked to the others. Only then, when looking into the eyes of her four companions, did she realize how utterly exhausted she had suddenly become. "Let's go."

The five Senshi joined hands, and in a flash of light, they left the two Klijargans to recover their dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 _How Many Spacemen Does It Take to Kill a Moon Princess?_

Klavish _nel_ Cagerino silently strode into the grand chamber, his battle worn boots clicking, their soft echoes dancing throughout the silent room. His pace was steady, not too fast, and not too slow. Just right to have a sense of purpose, but neither rushed, nor dragging out the unified display of obedience to his birthright.

And it was only due to his inherited position that they all stood for him. As a soldier, he was only third in command of the expedition. But protocol still demanded unconditional loyalty and respect, regardless of his military stature, and his subjects played their role, rendering the proper customs befitting of a ruler. He took his seat to the left of Warlord Vlarokh, and as one, the entire audience, over half of them holograms, took their seats as well.

He looked at the holograms of the lone Lieutenant, two Initiates, and seven Emulators. They, along with all of the other holograms, were replacements in case the primary warrior became ill, or suffered an accidental knife through the throat. The fact that the latter hadn't happened _yet_ almost had Klavish pleased.

His gaze rose to the eleven banners hanging from the high ceiling. Of the eleven warriors who had touched the Earth, nine were dead, one was captured, and the little wretch from Aschothiyl had 'missing' marked on her slot for _Qehk'hrola_ , or Trial's End. Perhaps wretch was a bit harsh for the child who had been thrust into battle, but then again, the little bitch was Aschothiyli, just like a certain traitor…

He shifted his gave back to Ahtnamas's banner, not caring what the others thought. Soon, the trial would be over, and what they thought would matter little. Ahtnamas was the only one of the Emulators who smiled for her official picture. He wished he could allow her to smile like that for him, but she was a _shybolia_ , and openly accepting her as an official daughter would have complicated matters back on the home world even more than they already were. But soon, it wouldn't matter either way… The others would have to wait for him and his reverie, and wait they did.

From the day he first met the little thief after catching her leading a younger Pala'din and Segraius to a secret entrance to one of the palace kitchens, he'd immediately admired the girl as if she were his own, but only secretly. Even she never knew of his admiration for her. Klavish had hoped that her group would be successful, elevating her status, and allowing her to take his son as her husband and at last be recognized as the daughter he'd never had. Perhaps her status as a survivor could be worked to that measure, but if nothing else… _At least she is still alive_.

After a long moment, he glanced towards his officially adopted son, Pala'din _cya_ Cagerino. His features were young and smooth on his light skin, and he was handsome enough to be a true born member of the royal families, not just some lucky foundling who won an inter-planetary lottery to be adopted as the playmate of Klavish's biological son, Segraius.

In stark contrast to Pala'din's youthful appearance, Klavish had a chiseled ebony face, sunken eyes and gaunt mouth that had rarely smiled since that terrible day his son had been born, and his wife had died. He kept his long hair dyed black to hide the early gray, and tied it into warrior braids, as was befitting of a Cagerino warrior of high standing.

Klavish had tolerated the arrogant boy, and now found that despite his old grudges with the past, he couldn't help but admire the young man he had grown into. The last thing he wanted was to see him punished for a breach of protocol. "She is gone for now," Klavish said to him, breaking the silence. "Do not attempt to rescue her until after the trial has been won."

Pala'din nodded his head, but Klavish knew that if it came down to it and the Majors participated in the trial, one of the holograms, Major Aiyalya of Kaggerzya, would be probably be taking Pala'din's place after going rogue and getting expelled from the trial. But at the very least, Klavish had been witnessed warning the brash young man not to travel to Earth on a rescue mission for a mere _shybolia_. He took time to observe the other members of the trial one more time just to make sure that none of the holograms had mysteriously taken corporeal form in the primary member's sudden absence.

After confirming that the number of mysterious deaths was still miraculously at zero, he turned his gaze to his right and saw fellow General Yuh'ja Margintos on the other side of Warlord Vlarokh. Yuh'ja had been adopted into the disgraced family after the Age of Choosing, hence the lack of the word _cya_ in his name. He had the seven point stars that marked him as a General branded upon his massive shoulders, and wore no General's cape, as he wore no uniform top. He took pride in his etched muscles and horrific battle scars. He even began shaving his head daily after acquiring a few more grotesque markings on his scalp. Regardless of whether or not Yuh'ja participated in the trail, Klavish had already determined to redeem the Margintos family name upon Trail's End due to the lifelong efforts Yuh'ja had put into his career as a Champion of the Klijargan military.

He proceeded to look over to the three Colonels. The youngest, Kreega _nel_ Shinpyuda, kept his long, dark hair in an unkempt braid. He was a master sword singer, one of an elite group that could send energy attacks through their weapon, and apparently, he was also errand boy to a certain summoner.

Ra'hadnyaq _nel_ Dahspa, with brown eyes and short brown hair, was a powerful master of energy attacks and a decent brawler, though he could not make weapons sing like Kreega. Due to his inability to sing, he used his body as a weapon of mass destruction, taking enemies by surprise due to his regular, unimpressively average stature.

Then, there was Idrahj'yago of the Sunrise Slopes, practically a General due to his powers. He let his golden hair, which contrasted with his dark eyes, flow freely down his back. The tribesman from the New World, a small group of islands across the Great Sea on Klijarga not discovered until several thousand years after the start of the Klijargan faith, was a dancer. It was an extremely rare skill allowing a warrior to magically bend the laws of physics, wielding an enchanted weapon impossibly fast. And to top things off, he was also a singer. Not exactly an opponent anyone with a shred of sanity would want to have to face in combat.

Behind them sat the summoner herself, Lady Cliapressa of Junkago. Her world had fallen without a shot fired, and its people quickly converted to the Klijargan religion. A little _too_ quickly… Cliapressa was said to be able to summon the spirits of the dead and bend their will to her needs, but all Klavish could think about was the gross amount of disgustingly colorful makeup practically painted on her face, and the ridiculous amount of cleavage she chose to show that day, as Junkagoan women utterly refused to accept Klijarga's more modest attire. He absentmindedly wondered if her tits would pop out if she leaned forward any further.

After staring in open apathy at Cliapressa's chest and shaking his head, getting a silent snarl from her in reply, he looked over to the four members of the Special Forces. All four of them, as well as all four of their alternates, were from the planet Kaggerzya. Despite converting to the Klijargan religion after being quickly defeated, the iron aged tribes from the only habitable spot of the planet kept their ancient traditions, including their scant clothing. This wasn't contested as many of them were blessed with powerful mental and telekinetic abilities. They could either make an enemy hallucinate into running off of a cliff, or simply hurl them off with their minds.

Even the eldest, Matron Fyuuit'chya, wore only a painted mini-skirt and a shawl that barely covered her breasts, baring her bronzed skin. She was in her early fifties, but as the Kaggerzyans had never discovered alcohol or nicotine, and most were allergic to both, they aged very well. As was a time honored custom of her people, rather than hide her age, Fyuuit'chya bared the wrinkles on her skin with pride. Her grey streaks were braided separately from the rest of her auburn hair to highlight her elderly status as a sign of beauty, not decay over the years. Even her modest endowment didn't seem to droop as much as it should have from five decades and seven children.

On either side of her were Vekgrat and Zhyurekh, brothers clad only in an open vest with the colors of their tribe and a leather loincloth. Vekgret, the younger of the two, wore his fiery hair in a long braid while Zhyurekh had shaved his head, but had a bushy, crimson beard to contrast his younger brother's clean shaven face.

Behind them sat Hyaloa, the youngest of the group. She wore a sleeveless red Klijargan uniform top, but no traditional Klijargan shawl across her shapely chest. Her personalized skintight red leggings barely fell past her bottom, and that was when they hadn't crept back up. Naturally, she had placed her tribal markings on the seat of her outfit, and she had a way of flaunting her _artwork_ to the other males on the ship.

Next came Pala'din's two companions in arms. Major Calyaph _nel_ Zeigrach'k dyed his long, flowing hair deep blue to match his eyes. With his smooth face and pursed lips, it was no wonder that Hyaloa kept cutting in front of him while looking back to smile, batting her soft blue eyes and tossing her pale blond hair. Klavish knew that Calyaph wasn't interested in her…

On Pala'din's other side was Major Yostarok _nel_ Ahtzuie. He was nearly a decade older and his once handsome face was marked with several scars. He kept his dark hair cut short and had a well trimmed beard that was divided on one side of his face by an old scar. What Calyaph saw in him, Klavish didn't know. He just wished they'd do a better job of hiding their perversion from the rest of the crew. Certain things weren't meant to be out in the open, as not everyone was as clueless as Hyaloa.

His gaze drifted over to the ten members of the Shifters, warriors who could morph the shape or consistency of their bodies. Originally two groups of five, on Klavish's orders to help safeguard the life of their leader and his future heir, the two groups were merged into one and would all fight in a ten on ten battle if the trial somehow reached their group.

The most noticeable member of the group almost brought a smile to Klavish's face. Grahk'krh'srh'qhyi of the planet Nyii'khr'rrk, with long, creamy white fur and several jeweled rings piercing his upright ears, eagerly eyed his emperor, perhaps expecting his group to participate next.

The Nyii'khr'rrk, called the Niyerkers by the Klijargans, were also called dog men because they looked like dogs that could almost walk upright. They had opposable thumbs, but due to their facial structures, they could not speak Klijargan. However, they could understand it just fine. They had a rather acute ability to learn multiple languages quickly, an ability that was rarely unutilized due to their inability to speak any of those languages.

Grahk'krh'srh'qhyi, or Bayer the Painkiller, named for the baying sound of his speech and the fact that he killed enemies so quickly that they never really had time to feel any pain, was different. Being able to morph, he could make his spine erect, his knees interlocking, and make his mouth able to speak Klijargan. While listening to him try to talk was almost comical, Bayer was a Niyerker, and the Niyerkers were the most dedicated and fiercest warriors of the empire, only rivaled by the cat men of Dunapowat.

And sitting next to Bayer was one of them, the Lady Kai'yaa of Clan Niffumagar, nicknamed Baby Girl for her childish nature and sweet temperament when she wasn't raking an enemy to shreds with her claws. The Dunapowatchi had similar skeletal structures to the Niyerkerks, but in contrast, they could speak Klijargan just fine, in addition to speaking and comprehending Niyerkerk. As such, the two races were often paired up for ease of communication. Rather than become rivals, they became the best of allies, and the best of friends, with countless tales of heroics and selfless sacrifice to back up their words with deeds.

Like Bayer, Kai'yaa had morphed her hind legs and back to be more Klijargan so she could sit and stand. Her toffee colored fur was short, and the hair on her face, hands, feet, tail and ears were black. An oddity among her race, her eyes were sky blue. Klavish noticed her dark tail twitching anxiously, obviously just as eager as Bayer to hear if the Shifters would be sent in to finish the trial for good.

Next to Kai'yaa sat Dela'vwa Chuyofa, a sickly Cardheyan man with crooked yellow teeth and an even more crooked smile. His nickname was Crawl, probably because looking at him would make just about anyone's skin crawl. Klavish quickly looked to the next Shifter.

Ellyamoin _nel_ Jyala'cho brimmed with pride and stared wide-eyed with anticipation, wearing her standard red uniform with pride. Her given name was derived from the area of space where her ancient stasis pod was discovered with her as a newborn frozen inside, and her family name, although she had no family, described her rock skin ability she had been able to use since she was a child.

While her actual age was unknown, she had only spent nineteen years outside of stasis. Her nickname was Clacker, as she tended to morph her hands to rock and clack them together when she was bored or nervous. Klavish had expected Pala'din to propose to her a few years back, but the young couple parted ways. Perhaps when things settled down after the trial, they would get back together and Klavish would have two new daughters.

Next to her was Calameera _nel_ Jyuto, also known as Widowmaker. The twin sister of the murdered Staz'nyokos _nel_ Jyuto, she was tall, muscular, and as far as Klavish was concerned, not remarkably attractive from the neck up. As a Jyuto, she wore a royal purple military uniform. She eyed her emperor with the same look of anxiety that Bayer and Kai'yaa had. She was obviously anxious to avenge her brother, who had been ran through from behind by the treacherous Pethospoe Jirghy on the world of Yutego. Due to an impossibility that became a reality somehow, his killer had been pardoned after completing a suicide mission on the capital world of the Hyuitian Empire as the small task force's sole survivor.

Calameera was the reason why the two groups had merged into one. The Jyutos were the lead instigators of a not so secret movement to remove the Cagerinos from the throne, and as the leader of the alternates, only the removal of the lead group's commander would have allowed her to participate in the trail.

Behind her sat that other commander, Klavish's nephew, Gralya _nel_ Cagerino. As the leader of the combined Shifters, he had won the coveted nickname of Morph, a highly prized title among the eccentric subcaste of warriors. His ebony skin gleamed from his clean shaven face and head. Although only eighteen, he had excelled through the Champion ranks to that of Major. If he and Pala'din survived to see Trail's End, they would both take the test for the rank of Colonel, and would both likely succeed. Like Calameera's, his uniform was purple to identify his royal heritage. All he had to do was live to be twenty-one, and Klavish could officially declare him to be heir to the throne.

Sitting next to him was the alluring Kahla Uhaa of the planet Yiugraa. Her normally blue hair had been died jade green to match her large eyes, and Yiugraans had _large_ eyes. She had tied her hair into twin braids. The hair, along with her burnt orange skin and hot pink lips, clashed with her royal purple uniform. However, while not color blind, Yiugraan eyes interpreted the visible light spectrum very differently than most other sentient species, and she thought the colors to be rather complimentary of each other.

Although she wasn't officially Morph's wife, and never would be as her chromosomes weren't compatible with Klijargan DNA, making it impossible for a child, Klavish himself had allowed her to wear the royal colors. She had been given the nickname Shade both due to her unique abilities to literally fade into the shadows, and to placate her after she had assaulted the overseer who had given her the nickname of Jester because of her natural skin and lip color.

Next to Shade sat Meljiya, a disgusting excuse for a… Klavish couldn't remember the name of his home world, only that he was from the same planet as Jorvist. Meljiya's name meant butterfly, and it fit only in the sense that caterpillars morphed into butterflies. Perhaps something more disgusting, like Moth, would have been a better name. His real name was unknown, just as Jorvist had never told anyone his birth name. Other than having brown hair, he was merely a different type of ugly than Crawl or Jorvist.

Next to the moth sat Shanarhaj of Kulqeq. She was one of the few Hyuitians in service to the Klijargan military. As the child of a conquered world, she did not have a choice like Ellyamoin to fight. Despite the forced conscription, she had served well, even against her own people. Her nickname was Babbles, as she hardly ever spoke. She kept her sandy blond hair very short, claiming she didn't want to waste time with it.

Next to Babbles sat the last member of the Shifters. Jokingly called Kiddo, Jyanrha _cya_ Klijarga was the oldest. At seventy, he used his morphing ability simply to move around pain free as his joints had given out a decade ago. It was no surprise as very few Klijargans lived to be eighty, and Jyanrha was definitely up there in years. His incessant use of his abilities made him an absolute grandmaster of the art. While he had mostly taught over the last several years, he was pulled from academia to fight in the trial.

As an abandoned child who was never adopted, Jyanrha took the name of the lady prophet whom their religion and home world were named after. Originally a military washout, he discovered his strange abilities in his mid-thirties. With some harsh help, he was whipped into fighting shape and had been in military service ever since. Despite volunteering for multiple suicide missions, he was still alive with more money than he knew what to do with. Perhaps he would get his lucky break and die with honor soon.

"You will not be the next participants," Klavish said to his nephew, and the eight Shifters who were on the edge of their seats slumped back, defeated. His gaze shifted to the last three warriors present, led by the cousin of his disinherited son's fiancé. Klavish nodded to her, and her blue eyes widened.

"We will not fail!" Judeena _nel_ Dahjit said, shooting to her feet and offering a salute. Her pale blonde hair was tied back in a long braid. Although a Captain in the Holy Guard, she was also an Acolyte of the Goddess, and wore a green military uniform to show her devotion to an invisible entity that hadn't spoken to anyone, save for one very strange young girl thousands of years ago.

As soon as she lowered her salute, her two subordinates snapped to their feet and rendered a perfectly synchronized salute as well. On her left was Captain Yuhtja _nel_ Kofrakhi, a short, burley man with greasy black hair, a few patches of unshaven hair for a beard, and a pock marked face. He wasn't too bright, but he was a powerful warrior with incredible strength and an inhuman tolerance for pain, probably because he simply wasn't smart enough to feel it.

To Judeena's right was Zhyji _nel_ Vadaq. While the sight of him made Klavish's heart sing, the thought of him going up against the vicious and crafty _Val'Kureis_ made it sink. While Zhyji's vision had been surgically corrected, he still wore glasses because it made him look smarter. Klavish said they made him look charming and brought out his deep lazulite eyes. He parted his dark blue hair down the middle, the way Klavish preferred it.

He nodded, and the two lowered their salute in unison as the three Captains returned to their seats as one. He looked back over to Vlarokh. "Anything else to add, Warlord?"

Vlarokh shook his head. "It is a sound decision for the next progression of the trial."

Klavish silently met the stares of all of the warriors present, and then all of the holograms, one by one, as if begging them to question the decision of the Warlord to endorse his choice. While the Special Forces and Shifters gave looks of disappointment and annoyance, they had all accepted the judgments of their emperor and commander.

Satisfied by the silent obedience of his subordinates, Klavish rose to his feet, and as one, all members and their holographic counterparts shot to their feet. Even Kliapressa rocketed to her feet, making her chest bounce so obviously that Klavish nearly cracked a smile at the ridiculousness of the spectacle. She thought herself to be alluring, but he merely thought her to be silly. He looked towards Vlarokh and nodded.

"Dismissed."

*.*.*

 _Clack! Clack! Clack!_

Pala'din winced at the familiar sound he hadn't heard in over two years, and had hoped to go without hearing it again until one of them had gotten married. That had been dashed when both groups of Shifters had been merged into one, allowing a certain ex access to the same ship as him. He had hoped to tail Hyaloa and admire her tribal artwork that day, but instead, he politely turned towards the sound and saw Ellyamoin's smiling face. "Ellya…"

Ellyamoin leapt into him, wrapping her arms around him in a soft bear hug. "Pal! Why are you being such a stranger?"

Pala'din briefly returned the hug, then gently pushed her to arms length. "You seem rather cheery today."

The smile faded slightly. "And you seem rather distant. I thought you'd be happy to see me again. I'm happy to see you."

He shrugged. "My sister is captured, and I am forbidden from rescuing her. It's not been a good day."

Ellyamoin frowned. "You heard him, though."

"So I guess I can count you out, then."

She shook her head. "This isn't just about you or Ahtnamas. If you go rogue, the poor technician on duty that you're going to bully into transporting you down to Earth is going to get sent to the brig for the remainder of the trial, just to have their own court martial before getting kicked out, or worse."

"I've got that handled," he said with a wink.

"So you're going to knock out the technician and use the transporter yourself. Very well. How do you get back?"

"Even though I can't inherit the throne, I'm still a prince. I contact the ship when I've secured Ahtnamas's release, and they'll send the shuttle down for us."

"And when you get back?"

He shrugged. "Dad knocks out a few teeth and demotes me to Initiate, Major Aiyalya takes my place if it goes that far, and the healers put the teeth back in."

"It's not that simple, and you know that. Your father's enemies will demand more than just a few punches for openly defying him. This trial is the only thing preventing our empire from plunging into an all out civil war, and it's one that your father cannot win. They're looking for any excuse to start a coup."

Pala'din shrugged again. "I'm not abandoning her."

Ellyamoin sighed. "Fine. I won't help you start a civil war, but… If you cut through the second hall on the right, you should wind up a few paces behind your favorite moving piece of canvas."

Pala'din matched her stare for a moment, then nodded. "Goodbye, Ellya. What we had was nice while it lasted, but it's over." He turned away from the silenced Shifter and followed her advice. He wanted one last look at the shapely Kaggerzyan before he risked his life, and possibly a war, to rescue his future sister-in-law.

As always, Hyaloa's tribal markings didn't disappoint.

*.*.*

Judeena leapt to her feet and pulled the blanket around her as she ran to the door, her heart racing. She was going to be a Liberator, and with Goddess's grace and some much desired help from her mate, a mother to be. Her eyes widened in joy as she opened the door, and almost popped out of her skull when she saw who it was.

"Hi…highness…" she stammered as she quickly adjusted the sheet, securing it around her shoulders. Klavish walked in, closed the door and turned the lights on.

"Highness?" he asked, facing away from her.

"Uncle Klavish…"

The Emperor and declared father in law of her cousin sniffed the aromas that permeated her air. "I suppose you were expecting Specialist Yhukwazeh. Perhaps I shall be calling him nephew soon."

Despite her fair complexion quickly turning beet red, she managed a giggle. "I guess the secret's out."

"Not much of a secret. The two of you are about as subtle as the two Majors, although what you're doing isn't exactly forbidden according to the more strict interpretations of scripture." He turned to face her. "I will make this quick. The Jyutos only tolerate Goddess's teachings enough to placate the masses. They will not serve Her will. We need a victory, and we need to stop throwing our finest soldiers to die at the hands of Earth's witches."

Judeena started a salute, but had to stop to catch her makeshift robe from falling off. "I cannot speak for my kin, but if there is a revolt, I will fight for the true monarch of my empire."  
"I need your entire clan's support, and I will have that when you are a Liberator."

Only years of military and religious instruction allowed her to keep her composer and not become light headed at the reminder of the significance of what she would soon accomplish.

"You're taking three of the Scepters."

Judeena's jaw dropped, and had to regain her balance. "The… the Sceptor's of the Last Stand?"

"I know it is sung about the last four warriors, an emperor, a general, a warlord, and the stranger, all wielding them in a final charge if all others have fallen. It also sings of talking monkeys, blackbirds giving live birth to striped finches when placed in front of a painted tree, and even the Mystics have ceded that it was written long after Klijarga's death to help spread the faith to other tribes. It isn't binding."

"But… it's tradition."

Klavish grabbed where Judeena had hastily tied her blanket, turned away and yanked the makeshift garment free, flinging it to the corner of the room. "It is also tradition to keep women out of direct combat. Do I need to remind you of some ancient Cagerino customs regarding unwed females outside of the clan before the Lady came to us? Times are different. You will not be going there as an archer, or a medicine woman, or even a shaman. You will be a Champion, you will be victorious, and with your blessing, I will preside over your wedding ceremony to Yuhkwazeh."

After a moment of silence, Judeena grabbed the blanket and covered herself back up. "If that is what you wish, then so be it, Emperor Klavish the Progressive."

He nodded, accepting the complement as he continued looking away from her. A second knock on the door made her jump, and Klavish quickly opened the door, acknowledging the stunned Yuhkwazeh with a nod and a warm greeting of "Nephew."

The two stared in silence for a moment before laughing. Judeena dropped the blanket as Yuhkwazeh shut the door.

*.*.*

Zhyji waited a few seconds after hearing a knock on his door. If it was Emperor Klavish, he could wait a few seconds. If it was Captain Ku'larkh come to kill him and take his place, Zhyji wanted to be ready. After nearly a minute without a second knock, he relaxed. "Enter," he said.

Klavish _nel_ Cagerino, General in the Holy Guard and leader of the Klijargan Empire, walked into the spacious room, training sword in its scabbard. Zhyji had been granted a customized living space that doubled as Klavish's training gymnasium. The roof was as tall as any royal palace room, and it had a variety of cardio and strength training equipment. As Klavish's personal training partner, Zhyji had a smaller room in the back to himself. This allowed him and Klavish private training sessions in the main area, and other private dealings in the smaller, more secluded one.

Even before they realized their mutual attraction, the two had pushed each other's swordplay to the limit, and then beyond. While both were singers, Klavish was far more powerful than he would ever be. But a singer was nothing without mastering the wielding of their weapon. There was no singing or usage of magical powers when they trained, only the dance of opposing blades. While Zhyji had speed and youth, Klavish had experience, and the two had become almost evenly matched.

The normalcy of their activity allowed for their other form of swordplay to go unnoticed by the rest of the crew. While Klavish had a hungry look on his face, he knew that Zhyji would never have him until after a grueling workout. Although he was the emperor, if Klavish couldn't muster the stamina for a second wind, he wasn't worth Zhyji's extracurricular efforts.

"We need to talk," he said softly.

Zhyji slowly removed his glasses, a practiced and perfected motion meant to tests Klavish's focus. A distracted warrior was a dead warrior, after all. Business before pleasure. "You know the rules, my liege."

"That hasn't changed."

Zhyji cocked an eyebrow. "Intriguing. Do go on."

"I've already spoken to Judeena and Yuhtja. So in addition to our training session, this is my opportunity to speak to you before you face the _Val'Kureis_."

Zhyji nodded silently.

"The three of you will be taking one of the Scepters. It's time to end this foolish charade."

"Do you not have faith in us?"

Klavish cocked an eyebrow. Now, he was the one who was intrigued. "You seem calm."

"I'm more agitated by your lack of faith in us than your lack of faith in our faith."

"It isn't that."

"Are you saying you've fallen for me? I clearly warned you that this was purely physical. We have no future together. You're nobility, and I'm of a high ranking family that will likely get its purples after this trial. I will be sworn to a female of equal standing and be expected to produce an heir." He looked hard at the emperor. "An heir who could very well side against your heir when civil war breaks out. _When_ , not if."

Klaivsh shrugged. "The future cannot be helped, but hear and now, I would do anything to keep you safe. But this goes beyond either of us. The Dahjits and your family are among my weakest supporters. With you and Judeena as Liberators, it will secure their loyalty to the throne until Gralya comes of age." He smiled warmly at Zhyji. "I know you're not afraid to die down there. The High Clerics would never allow a coward into the Guard."

Zhyji shrugged. "As long as you understand that this is a good thing while it lasts, and only while it lasts. I'm still a proud Vadaq, and a loyal follower of _most_ of the scriptural teachings." In a lighting fast movement, he leapt toe to toe with Klavish, planted a kiss on his lips as he instinctively started to hop away, and winked. "The important ones, anyways."

Klavish barely dodged Zhyji's attack. He had his practice sword unsheathed in the blink of an eye, but it was still too slow for the lightning fast Zhyji, who got in a second strike, forcing Klavish to drop to one knee to avoid being struck. The third strike was parried, and Klavish used Zhyji's momentum, forcing him to go into a forward roll. Despite his speed, Klavish still got a glancing blow on his side as he flew by.

"You're fast, but I'm good," Klavish said.

"For this part, yes."

The two laughed aloud as they engaged in what very well could become the last sparring session they would ever share. Later, it was a vocalization other than laughter that the two made aloud as they shared a different form of sparring.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 _Not Enough Sand…_

"She's coming to," an unfamiliar voice said. In Japanese… In _Japanese!_

Ahtnamas snapped her eyes open and gasped as blinding light assaulted her senses. She kicked and squirmed, or she tried to, but it was as if her legs were made out of jelly. She gritted her teeth and willed herself to keep her eyes against the painful glare. Everything wasn't just bright, but blurred and doubled.

"Easy, you're safe," another voice said.

She was _not_ going to be taken prisoner! Ahtnamas grabbed for a handful of dirt to fling at the nearest semblance of a face, but her hands clawed at a soft fabric material. She wasn't outside…

"Stop," Pethospoe said, first in her native tongue, then again in Japanese.

She stopped for a moment. She didn't feel any overpowering impulse. She could continue struggling if she wanted. But… was there any point? She was already captured. Obviously, he wasn't evoking the enchantment.

Yet…

She shook her head as her eyes slowly slid into focus. She was definitely inside. And then she remembered what happened to her. How was she even alive? "The others…" she groaned. "What happened?"

"Only you and…" Pethospoe's blurry visage shrugged. "It's hard to explain what happened to Flouria. She's alive, but, um… not the way we are."

Ahtnamas sat up slowly. _How could this have happened?_ "But, how? We had you outnumbered and overpowered…"

"You got the drop on them first," the first voice said, "and we repaid you with interest."

Ahtnamas looked at the ever focusing outline of the stranger. "Who are you?"

She couldn't see the color of her eyes yet, but she saw long green hair. "I'm the one who pushed you onto Hotaru's blade, then knocked you over the cliff."

Ahtnamas scowled at her. "Why didn't you finish the job?"

She shrugged. "It didn't seem necessary. Normally, fifteen centimeter entry and exit wounds though center mass followed by a fifty meter drop proves adequately fatal. However, I'm glad to be proven wrong in this instance."

"It's not how we do things," Sailor Moon said. She wasn't transformed, and the name Usagi nudged its way into Ahtnamas's mind. "We're not sure how you survived. The place where you landed was surrounded by dead plants and gray dirt."

"Practically soot," the green-haired woman, whose name still remained a mystery, added.

"The Gift of Antaeus," Ahtnamas whispered, not even knowing _what_ the Gift of Antaeus was. "But… that blade severed my heart."

"I guess the Earth had other plans for you," Usagi said.

She looked at Pethospoe. "You said that Flouria was alive, but not the way we are. What does that even mean?"

"Telleschya," Pethospoe said. "She… had Usagi beat, but the others had her surrounded. Instead of throwing her daggers at Usagi," he took a steadying breath, "she threw them at Flouria. After that, Flouria…"

Ahtnamas snarled. It was all she could do as her muscles wouldn't allow her to throw herself at the little whelp. "You little piece of dung! How _dare_ you say such…"

"We all saw it with our own eyes," Usagi said.

Ahtnamas stared at her. "But… she would never do something like that. _Never!_ "

"Ironically, it was probably meant as a genuine act of mercy," Pethospoe said, meeting her gaze as she looked back at him. "Just as the gods are laughing at me from their graves with this mockery. _You_. Why are _you_ still alive?"

"This isn't the time…" the green-haired woman started.

"This is the _perfect_ time!" Pethospoe stared hard at her. "The enemy is in disarray, the last Klijargan worth saving, or who I _thought_ was worth saving, is dead after trying to kill a twelve-year-old, and we got one of the damned animals alive and in our custody! They put all their eggs in this basket and will need time to regroup after losing so badly! They're… they're… um… probably trying to keep…"

"I think you should go," Usagi said softly. "This is too personal for you."

Pethospoe looked at Usagi for a moment, then shook his head. "No. If you could deal with Omi's loss, then I can deal with this."

Usagi lowered her head. "But you're not dealing with it. You're spinning in circles. Just for a little while, walk away." She looked back up at him. "Please?"

Pethospoe opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and left without another word. Ahtnamas counted the remaining people in the room with her. There were four. The green-haired one was wearing a revealing pair of pink shorts and what appeared to be a wrap around one of her knees, and she was leaning on a crutch. The image of her garnet red eyes finally came into focus.

Usagi and a pink-haired girl who looked like she could be a younger sister were on either side. Their clothing seemed to be bed wear. Was it nighttime? Was it even the same day as the battle? On Usagi's other side was a girl with long, raven black hair wearing an odd outfit with a white top and large, red pants.

"You should have killed me," Ahtnamas said.

"I really did try," the green-haired woman said with an oddly sympathetic frown. "I was told that a Klijargan's dying words can be a killing spell, and I took it to heart. But now that you're our prisoner…"

"We don't execute prisoners," Usagi finished.

"So you would use vile magic to force me into your service," Ahtnamas spat, "turning me against my friends and fellow Klijargans?" She looked at them and gauged their reactions. "I see he's already told you about the spell."

"Tetsuya didn't use the spell, or enchantment, or whatever you call it."

Ahtnamas regarded her for a moment, and digested the foolishly divulged information about Pethospoe's Earthen identity. "I _know_ he didn't. _Why_ didn't he do it, yet?"

"He said…" Usagi thought for a moment. "Um… he just wanted…"

"He was hoping you'd attack us, forcing us to kill you," the dark haired girl said softly.

A look of genuine hurt crossed Ahtnamas's face as she laughed a hollow laugh. "Poor little Poepoe. Whatever did I do to hurt his feelings? Maybe I took the last sweet role when little… what is your greedy animal called… piggy? Yes. When the little piggy was going for his third helping. Maybe he didn't like the way I cringed when he looked me over like a piece of cake. Maybe he was jealous of the fact that I didn't bow down and worship him because the clergy claimed that he was a warrior of legend who would lead us to our promised world. Maybe…"

She felt so very tired and deflated at that moment. How could he do that?! How could he so easily dismiss Telleschya's friendship, no, her _love_ for him? Telleschya wasn't merely using the word brother as a figure of speech when she spoke about Pethospoe. She would have given her life for him, even though he clearly didn't deserve it!

Ahtnamas had done her best to try and take him alive, even _after_ he tried to kill her! She still had thought of herself as his friend. But… _Where did it all go wrong?_ She knew he was bitter over the invasion of his home world, but she had always stood up for him when Telnyi and the trio harassed him. What had _she_ done to make him hate her so much?

She looked down and saw that she was on a body-length pillow on the floor. The word bed did _not_ come to mind, but it was better than chains and a concrete floor. As the last of her stubborn resolve bled away, she pulled the blanket over her head and rolled onto her side, hiding her eyes from her enemies. From her _captors_. "I thought he was my friend."

"We'll let you rest for now," Usagi said.

"Usagi- _chan_ , now is…" the green-haired woman said.

"Good night, Ahtnamas."

"But she's fully capable of…"

 _Click!_ The room went dark, and a bit of light crept back in as a sliding sound, probably a door, was made. She listened to one set of footsteps leading away, then another. Then after something between a scoff and a sigh, a third sound, that of someone hobbling on a crutch, could be heard. Then, a fourth set of footsteps, and the door slid shut, cutting off the light almost completely.

Ahtnamas buried her head in her small pillow and began to sob. They were all monsters! No wonder Pethospoe got along with them so well. The backstabbing, two-faced little bastard was in perfect company! But… why did she still have her free will? What sick game were they playing with her?

*.*.*

"She still has Mamoru's powers," Setsuna said softly, but the frustration was evident.

"Mamo- _chan_ can't heal Hotaru's injuries," Usagi replied, "even with his powers. Not yet."

"Don't tell me you want _her_ to..." Setsuna looked at Usagi and sighed. "After all this time, why am I still surprised…"

"You saw the others using our strongest Senshi attacks. That should mean that she can use Mamo- _chan's_ healing as well."

"Then just have Tetsuya use the spell to turn her to our side."

Usagi stopped in the hall and turned slowly to face Setsuna, a look of genuine hurt upon her face. "I don't want Tetsuya to rob a person of their freedom of will. I don't even want to hint that it's okay to do something like that, no matter what."

"Even if Hotaru- _chan_ was dying?" Rin asked, keeping her face empathetic.

The mere suggestion made Usagi shudder in fear, but she reminded herself of the current situation and held fast to her resolve. "By God's grace, Hotaru- _chan_ isn't dying."

"But she's in a lot of pain."

Usagi nodded. "She wouldn't want it, either."

"What if she refuses to peacefully return dad's powers?"

Usagi replied without hesitation. "You were both injured. You and Setsuna- _san_ would do well to get some sleep. The others seemed really drained after getting their powers back…"

Knowing the conversation was over, Rin obediently played along. "You're gonna mandate bed rest for us, too?" Rin sassed with a cocked eyebrow.

Usagi smiled at her future daughter. "Keep it up, young lady, and see what happens. For now, I will only _ask_ you to do this."

Rin stretched out to yawn and hunched over in pain as several of her ribs reminded her that they had been broken only hours earlier. "Ow… You win this round, Usagi- _sama_."

Setsuna crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. "You need your rest as well, princess. We will pick up in the morning."

Usagi bowed and hurried towards Tetsuya's room.

The Senshi of Revolution rubbed her eyes. "My small lady has grown to be the wise and patient one, and even my silly princess has shown a few hints of competence." She smiled a somewhat genuine smile.

"What's your take on this, Rei- _chan?_ " Rin and Setsuna looked back. Rei wasn't there.

*.*.*

The sound of the door sliding open tore Hotaru away from her dreamless, painless sleep, and forced her back into the present. The next wave of pain hadn't started yet, and she managed a weak smile at the newcomer who seemed to be glaring at her.

"I didn't mean to intrude on your room, Tetsuya- _san_."

He stared at her for a moment, then bowed to her as the glare became a more neutral, uninterested expression. "Sorry, that's not what's bugging me."

"Oh, good. Well, good for me. Do you want to talk about it?"

He sat down across from her, and the look turned to one of disappointment. Disappointment in all of them. Disappointment in her. For all the pain she had already endured that day, the look he gave her was far worse.

"Tetsuya- _kun_ , I'm so, so sorry. We all tried…"

"No, I don't want to talk about it."

Hotaru nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, drifting back to sleep despite the encroaching aches shooting through her body. After what seemed like both an eternity and no time at all, she snapped awake when Tetsuya slammed his fist onto the tatami floor.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this! Why did _she_ get to live? Why is Flouria… a tree? Why did the only Klijargan I've ever cared about try to kill a little girl? And everyone seems to be taking _her_ side!"

Hotaru took a breath to think before replying. She had heard about his emotional issues, but how much of this was from a preexisting condition, and how much was merely genuine reaction to a recent traumatic event? Might as well play it safe. "She didn't kill you when she had the chance. One blow, and… well, we wouldn't be having this awkward conversation. Instead of finishing you off, she turned to fight me."

Tetsuya snarled at her. Perhaps he was just looking at her after snarling about the situation under discussion, but at that moment, she was afraid of him. The snarl died away, and Tetsuya averted his gaze. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Hotaru remembered at that moment that she needed to breathe on a regular basis and allowed the natural process to resume with what came out as an accidental sigh of relief.

"You all had one person to save, a second one if possible. You managed to shred the second one to a bloody mess, turn the first into a tree, and save the one you all tried hardest to kill. Maybe I should've said 'try to save the other six but make sure you kill Flouria twice' and you might not have fucked it up as bad!"

Hotaru couldn't come up with a reply. Was he trying to make a joke? She didn't really think so… What if he got mad again? What if he really did lose control? She was helpless at the moment.

"Why? Why is _she_ the one who survived?"

"Tetsuya, please. She practically saved your life, and if…"

"She's still a Klijargan." Tetsuya sat down against the wall, and lived up to his nickname, Slouch. "They're all still Klijargans."

Hotaru mentally kicked herself. He seemed calm enough to at least hear a dissenting opinion without even raising his voice at her. If she really was his battle buddy, she ought to be able to trust him not to crush her windpipe in a sudden bout of blind rage. She wiped away the tears that were caused equally by the pain shooting through her body and the shame she felt for thinking Tetsuya would ever hurt her. "She can't help that any more than you can help being Aschothiyli, just like Luna can't help being a cat any more than…"

"Just let it be," Usagi said softly as she entered the room through the open door. "Um, sorry about commandeering your room."

Tetsuya looked between her and Hotaru. "You were right. I can't do this right now."

Usagi merely nodded.

"If it doesn't involve killing, just give me a couple days."

Usagi nodded again. She looked at her watch and sighed. "Two more hours until he gets home."

"Take a nap up against the wall," Tetsuya said, closing his eyes.

Usagi looked as if she were seriously considering his offer, but before she could respond, she was thrown face first onto the floor as Rei leapt into the room.

" _Itai…_ "

"The sword!" Rei blurted in Tetsuya's face.

*.*.*

After a few seconds, the initial waves of shock were pushed away by a mental discipline perfected over and fostered by years of focused training. Ahtnamas quickly got her crying under control. A time for tears would come later, if there _was_ a later. But for now, she had to get away. She _had_ to! She was not going to be a pawn in their sick little game, and she still had the powers of the Tuxedo Mask! All she had to do was silently make a break for it. She could make it. She knew it!

She opened herself to the eddies and ripples of magic, feeling the subtle vibrations of the powerful witches, sensing where they were in relation to her. She couldn't help but laugh as she felt one close. Very close. "Wanted to hear me cry?" she mockingly asked as her hopes of escape quickly faded. "Wanted to hear the big, bad Klijargan break down and weep?"

She pulled the sheet from her head and saw the figure, obviously the dark haired girl from what Ahtnamas could see of her outline. She sat still and silent, and Ahtnamas couldn't even hear the sound of her breathing.

"Yes, I cried. I broke down and cried. Are you happy? Do you think you've broken me?"

The dark haired girl made a shot snorting noise. It wasn't a laugh.

"For your own sake, kill me now while I am still weak."

The sound came again, and the snort lasted a bit longer. Only, it wasn't a snort. She was snoring!

Ahtnamas knew that it might be in her best interest to kill the girl, but she didn't know if she was a _Val'Kurei_ , or simply a friend of the Senshi. The Klijargans knew of other powerful beings on Earth who were not _Val'Kurei_. Perhaps she was one of them.

Ahtnamas sat up again, and instead of leaping for a killing blow, she balled up her blanket and threw it at the girl. It impacted against her face with an audible _wumph_ , and the girl sputtered and stammered as she fell flailing to her side. Under almost any other circumstance, she would have broken into laughter, but not that time. "I would like to leave, now," Ahtnamas said matter-of-factly, "So I guess this is where Pethospoe gets his wish."

She shimmied herself up into a standing position, leaning against the wall for support. Her chest ached, and a throb of pain shot through her with each beat of her heart. Although the alleged sacrifice of plant life and soil had spoiled her opportunity for a quick and honorable death, she wasn't anywhere near being fully recovered.

The girl pushed herself back to a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. She flicked a switch, turning the lights back on. "If you leave peacefully and don't come back," she said, "then I won't stop you. But you'll need to return Mamoru's powers first."

Ahtnamas huffed in exasperation. "I was denied a good death. At least show me some respect before you kill me. An honorable death in battle will give him his powers back."

"I will _not_ be the one killing you."

"You're not one of them?"

The girl looked at her for a moment, then a look of comprehension crossed her face. "Oh, that's right. You only knew Tuxedo Mask's identity. My name is Rei Hino, and I am Sailor Mars." She lowered her head in a bow. Ahtnamas did not return it.

Another piece of the puzzle clicked in her mind, and she realized that Hotaruchan was Sailor Saturn. No… it was just Hotaru. Hotaru… Swirl? The details didn't matter. If she could get back to her people with this new information… "I should have killed you while you were sleeping."

"Maybe tomorrow night, you'll get your chance" Rei said as she stood and walked towards Ahtnamas, catching her as she took a step forward and started to fall as her legs buckled from weakness. "Tonight, we need to get you patched up. There's a plant store down the street that's very well insured. That should help heal you up enough to move around on your own. Do you have a way of contacting your people?"

"Just bring me to the next fight. Either you will lose, or I will be given escort with the bodies."

"And in the mean time?"

Ahtnamas sighed. "I stay put, eat your food, and laugh as your injuries linger."

"We actually heal about as fast as Tetsuya does, although it would be a nice gesture if you healed Hotaru- _chan_."

Ahtnamas pushed Rei away gently and half sat, half fell back down on her… _futon_ was the word to describe her not-bed. The soft impact still sent a sharp shock of agony though her chest, but she didn't even grimace. _Not in front of a_ Val'kurei… "If you even want me to heal a hangnail, have Pethospoe use the incantation to make me his slave. I will not willingly do anything to strengthen you against my people."

Rei sat down next to her. "I felt your anguish, Ahtnamas. I know you feel betrayed by Tetsuya, just as he feels betrayed by you and Telleschya."

Ahtnamas looked at the door, not saying anything. What did she have to lose? Might as well play along and kill some time. "I just thought he ran away because he was scared. But, the way he attacked me, the look in his eyes…" She wiped her eyes again, no longer able to fight off the genuine pain she felt in her soul at his actions against her. "I really thought he was still my friend."

"He was. Something happened. Something personal between you and him."

She shrugged. "I have no idea." Ahtnamas looked into Rei's eyes. She saw nothing but sincerity. There was no magical tug to try and pervert her senses or distort her logic. "You're nothing like the ancient texts said you would be."

"Maybe you attacked the wrong world."

"No! That's impossible. The sword is still blue!"

Rei's eyes narrowed. "What sword?"

"The Sword of Klijarga. The _real_ Sword of Klijarga! Pethospoe made a copy of it using a holy relic that only he would be able to use. The act of turning the replica red is nothing more than a childish insult aimed at my faith!"

"What do you mean?"

"According to our most sacred writings, the Sword of Klijarga would become red if we invaded the wrong world."

Rei put her finger to her lip and seemed lost in thought for a moment. "What if… what if the blue sword was the replica?"

Ahtnamas shook her head. "Lies. You are just lying. Your sincerity is just an act!" She shoved Rei, but only managed to push herself to the ground. "I actually believed you, _Val'kurei_ scum!"

"What would it take to make you believe me?"

Ahtnamas stared back at Rei for a moment. _What do I have left to lose?_ "The incantation to control a _Shybolia_ has a side effect. The one who uses the spell cannot lie to the Emulator, because she cannot lie to her master."

Rei shot up and hurried out of the room without another word.

*.*.*

" _Domo sumimasen_ ," Rei said as she pushed her way between Rin and Setsuna.

" _Oi_ ," Rin protested, but the Spirit of Fire would have nothing to do with them at that moment.

" _Douzo_ ," Setsuna said with a slight chuckle.

Despite the gravity of the current situation, Rei couldn't help but smile at Setsuna's jovial reaction. She would apologize later, but for now, she had an epiphany to arrange! She rounded the corner and turned another ninety degrees into Tetsuya's room, knocking poor Usagi onto her face, and vaulted over her to land kneeling face to face with Tetsuya, ignoring Usagi's pitiful ' _itai._ ' "The sword!"

Tetsuya shrank back against the wall. "What?"

"Is the red one the replica, or is it the original?"

He thought for a moment. "Oh, um, yes. Just meant it as a personal insult, but the red one is the original, and the blue one is the rep… wait… why are…"

Rei gasped, then squealed happily. "Show her the sword!"

He blinked his stupid blink at her. "You want _me_ to kill her? _Now?_ After all you…"

 _BONK!_

"What the hell!"

" _Baka baka baka!_ Show her the red sword! It's the real one, and the _replica_ is blue!"

Tetsuya rubbed his head as Usagi and Hotaru stared in surprised confusion. Rin and Setsuna had gathered around the doorway. Usagi flicked the light switch back on, shining light on her familiar stare of no comprehension.

"Tell her that it's the real blade!" Rei exclaimed.

Tetsuya scowled. "Why would she believe me?"

Rei paused for a moment. "But… if you use the spell to capture her, she can't lie to you, and you can't lie to her."

"Huh?"

Rei sighed. "You learned the spell, but not all of its effects?"

"I never really meant to use it, Rei- _chan_. I was just teasing… Look, could you please just go… _bwaa_ …"

Rei half led, half dragged Tetsuya through the hallway, through Rin and Setsuna, and back to the spare room Ahtnamas was staying in, practically throwing him inside. He fell face first after failing to not tangle his feet. "Go on!"

Ahtnamas stared harshly at him as he clumsily got back to his feet. "Yes," she said. "Go ahead. Finish this charade."

"But… but… it's the _real_ sword! Show her!"

Ahtnamas smiled and shook her head. "He told you _that?_ "

"… Yeah."

Ahtnamas laughed out loud. "Very well! Do it, Pethospoe. Show them."

He looked at her for a moment. "I… can't lie?"

The smile widened. "You learned the spell, but never even bothered with all of its effects and _side_ effects? Typical… All that raw intellect, but not a drop of common sense to be thorough or to double check anything."

He looked at her for a moment as Usagi, Rin and Setsuna gathered outside of the door. "I tried my hardest to kill you."

She held her smile. "And you came very close. Very clever luring me in by making me think you were trying to take me alive. It _was_ a good plan."

He shook his head. "The point is that even though I tried to kill you, I don't want to force this on you."

She frowned. "Aw, and I thought you wanted me to charge as soon as I was awake."

"I did." He stared at her, and she stared back. None of the other Senshi made a sound. "I regret that, now."

Ahtnamas kept the mocking smile on her face. "I've had it with your procrastination. You're trapped, so go ahead. Say the spell. I'll ask, and you'll have no choice but to tell the truth that you carry the replica."

"I have your permission?"

The smile finally faded. "Fine. I'll play your game for just a little longer. Yes, Poepoe Jirghy, you have my permission to use the spell of binding on me, a captured _Shybolia_."

After a moment, Tetsuya nodded. He muttered a series of alien phrases under his breath, and Ahtnamas jerked. She stared at him for a moment, then asked. "Is the red sword you wield the true and original Sword of Klijarga?"

*.*.*

"Yes," Pethospoe replied.

Ahtnamas's world begun to spin. She felt herself leaning to the left, and she overbalanced, falling over to her right. "But… how?"

Rei was at her side, easing her onto her back.

"I first made the blue replica," he continued. "Then I thought, 'what the heck.' It was almost like the relic was egging me on to do it, like it was talking to me. So, I turned the original sword red and took it with me."

Ahtnamas shook and shuttered, shaken to the core. The revelation was too much for her in her weakened state, and she welcomed the soft, calm darkness of unconsciousness.

*.*.*

Something was up. Mamoru knew it the moment he walked through the door and saw her curled up on his sofa. He looked at his watch and grimaced. It was past eleven at night, and Kenji Tsukino's daughter was at his home. He would never hear the end of it from his father-in-law to be.

That would have to be dealt with later. "Usako," he said softly, tossing his traveling bag to the corner. Usagi slowly opened her eyes and pushed herself up. "Although I'm always glad to see you," he continued as he closed the distance and sat next to her, "it's a school night."

Usagi closed her eyes again and rested her head against his shoulder. "It already happened," she said. "We won."

Mamoru stiffened. Were his powers gone forever? Would he be powerless to protect the woman he had survived death and a millennium to be with? He calmed himself. If he truly were powerless, Usagi would not be as nonchalant as she was.

And then the panic returned. What if she simply didn't know the truth, and the others hadn't been honest with her? What if the mysterious Tuxedo Mask was no more, and he was once again just an aspiring doctor in training and part time model with a dwindling inheritance? Was he _anything_ without the cape and the cane?

"You'll get your powers back tomorrow."

"There is a delay?"

She shook her head, rubbing it against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his, pressing it incitingly against the curvature of her chest. "We captured one of them. She's agreed to help us. She'll return your powers tomorrow when she's strong enough."

He remembered the fair skinned beauty with a smile that was more mischievous than malicious. "Help us?"

Usagi squeezed his arm and snuggled up against him. He gasped as Usagi softly bit his earlobe. "Not tonight," she whispered. "Not tonight, my Endymion."

She leaned forward, putting her hand out as if she were on a bed. With only empty air, she fell forward onto the floor.

"Ow!" Usagi sat back up, blinked a few times and looked around the room, a confused expression on her face. She dropped the blanket as she stood up. "What time is it?" She looked at Mamoru's trousers and jumped back. "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

Mamoru clasped his hands over his lap, smiling slyly. "I think it was Serenity talking to me."

"I was talking to you? I… I don't even remember coming… here…" Usagi looked down and turned beat read when she realized she was wearing only a tank top and underwear. She winced as she reached down for the blanket.

"On the honor of our future daughter, I had nothing to do with that. Now, get dressed and I'll take you home."

"What all did I tell you?"

"Only that it's over, you won, and the woman who stole my powers is helping us, and she'll return my powers tomorrow when she's strong enough."

Usagi looked at him for a moment, probably waiting for him to leave so she could get dressed. After a moment, she returned his sly smile and dropped the blanket again. "Well, it's not like you haven't seen it all before…"

Mamoru was less than helpful in Usagi's search for her missing clothes.

*.*.*

"Augh…" Hotuaru whined as she jolted awake from the sound.

Tetsuya leapt to his feet, blade in hand. He sank to an aggressive kneeling position as a wave of dizziness flushed through him from the sudden motion.

"Let me help her," Ahtnamas pleaded. No longer clad in her traditional red uniform, she has once again a feminine Tuxedo Mask, but not in her modified, Klijargan-friendly outfit. She was clad in a revealing white laced overbust corset, open black jacket, and a sleeveless black leotard underneath. She had white gloves, black ankle boots, and a Venetian facemask with a black lady's bowler hat that sported a miniature red rose on its side. Her black cape only fell down to the small of her back. She was utterly stunning, and Tetsuya quickly reminded himself to look away.

She guided his gaze back to hers with a hand that glowed a brilliant white. "Please!"

"Well twist my arm," Hotaru said said, wincing in pain.

Tetsuya nodded silently. The healing continued for several minutes, one hand gently grasping Hotaru's broken face, the other down the back of her shirt, touching the broken shoulder blade. Ahtnamas fell to her side when she was done, and Hotaru returned the favor, her glowing hands upon Ahtnamas's chest where her Silence Glaive had impaled her. A moment later, Hotatu rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. The two lay on the floor next to each other, covered in sweat and breathing heavily with a slight hint of laughter.

"Please, Pethos… Tetsuya," Ahtnamas said. "Free me from the spell. My people have lost their way. Let me fight by your side. Klijarga must be stopped!"

Tetsuya said nothing.

"C'mon," Hotaru said, sitting up. Although she looked like she hadn't slept in days, she didn't seem like she was in any pain. "Give her a chance. If not for her, then do it for me."

Tetsuya still said nothing.

"Please, battle buddy?"

"I already released her," he said. "After she passed out, I uttered the counter spell. I don't like the idea of taking away someone's free will."

Ahtnamas sat up. "Even someone like me?"

Tetsuya hung his head. "I… I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. It was almost like she threw those daggers into _my_ chest."

Hotaru took a deep breath, steadied herself, and tried to help Ahtnamas to her feet. They both ended up falling to the floor, and Tetsuya walked out of the room without another word.

*.*.*

 _Click!_ Ahtnamas's eyes snapped open and she leapt to her feet. She squinted as her eyes quickly adjusted to the light. She saw a skinny arm from outside of the door retracting from the light switch. "Can I come in," Tetsuya asked softly.

Ahtnamas sat down and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. Running shorts and a tank top were _not_ appropriate attire by Klijargan standards. "Do I have a choice?" She replied evenly.

"You can say no, and I'll leave."

Ahtnamas thought for a moment, remembering the events from earlier that night and the shattering revelation of the red sword. "Yes. Sorry. I'm still a little overwhelmed by everything that's happened."

"You're in shock," Tetsuya said as he slid the door shut and sat against the opposite wall, looking towards Ahtnamas, but not directly at her. "You're not the only one." He looked into her eyes and shrugged. "I can't say we're going to be friends, but as long as you're fighting to keep Usagi and the others safe, I got your back."

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for them to…"

"They were already doing it. They just changed the reason for my beatings and my forced fastings. If it wasn't for eyeballing you, it would've been for something else. The clergy wanted me to be strong of will, and pure of soul. Beatings strengthened the will, and the soul could be filled with the purest teachings of Klijargan lore, but only if it wasn't weighed down by material excesses. It wasn't your fault."

He reached for the light switch. "Wait. I… really respected you and liked you as a friend. But the way you looked at me… I should've understood the cultural difference between Klijargan and Aschothiyli."

Tetsuya sighed and shook his head. "I never meant to make you uncomfortable. It's just… do you even realize how damned beautiful you are?"

She blushed slightly. "I'm sure the others were even prettier."

"They were _ugly_ ," he spat. "Spiteful, hateful, evil wretches with an over-polished exterior. But… you and… Telleshya. You were both beautiful." He closed his eyes and clenched his fist. "At least, I _thought_ she was…" He took in a deep breath and relaxed his hands, looking at her with red-rimmed eyes.

"I saw a remorseful Hortintai holding Hotaru's hand and thanking her for trying to spare her as she died. I also saw the handiwork of a Telleschya who had almost succeeding in killing a defenseless twelve-year-old girl. I knew right away that those were her daggers sticking out of Flouria's chest. I… I don't know what to think anymore. Someone I loved and respected truly let me down, and then, you… I really wanted to kill you myself. Even more than Telnyi. And now… The way you chastised me when I first told you about what Telleschya did to Flouria…" He blinked and quickly brushed away a stray tear and stood up. "You're a Klijargan, and I'm an Aschothiyli. We're not friends, and we will _never_ be friends. But for now, welcome to team." He flicked the light switch off and slid the door shut behind with without so much as a glance back at her.

"Well, it's a start…"

*.*.*

Tetsuya sighed as he opened his door, already sensing the second presence. "You sure whipped up a miracle," he said softly as he came in, closing the door behind him. He sat down on his futon. Hotaru was out like a light.

Rei shook her head and wiped her eyes. She'd probably fallen asleep while waiting for him to return. "Usagi's not the only one who can do that," she said softly.

Tetsuya hung his head. "Why did you risk your life like that? You know how dangerous I…"

"I didn't."

He looked up at her. "I was a split second from killing Naru."

"But you didn't. I know you would never harm me. And it's not just faith. You proved it that night as you fought back the rage inside of you."

"You don't know what I'm capable of."

Rei smiled at him. "Neither do you." She stood up and walked toward the door. "Oh, one more thing. I didn't save Ahtnamas."

Tetsuya stared at her, not understanding her logic.

"I saved you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 _Hurts So Good_

Less than two hours after the truce between Ahtnamas and Tetsuya, alarms tore the exhausted warriors away from their precious, inadequate sleep and hurled them straight into Thursday morning. Tetsuya did a double take when he saw Ahtnamas wearing a magically modified uniform for TA Academy For Girls to go with her nearly six foot frame. She blushed slightly at his reaction, but she had vowed to integrate into Earth's defense wholeheartedly. That included the freer clothing of Earth's women.

Luna and Artemis had ran through the night, returning the communicators to the girls. They all had a call in meeting via the returned watches before going to school to clear up a certain issue. After some enthusiastic support from Haruka, and some dissent from Michiru in favor of a more delicate name like Michelle, the name Amara Siegel was given to Ahtnamas for her stay on Earth. Tetsuya merely shrugged, leaving mid-meeting to go to school. The consensus was to give him some space for the time being.

After a few more updates, like Mamoru coming to the shrine to retrieve his powers that evening, the Senshi went about their regular daily routines. School was school, lunch was lunch, although a bit quieter as Tetsuya seemed to be avoiding the rest of the group, and the day came to a close.

Although he could do basic astrophysics for jump and warp telemetry with a computer, Tetsuya had many gaps in his mathematical knowledge, and was starting to flounder as the curriculum picked up. He had secured Ami's help for a study session, but some things just weren't meant to be…

*.*.*

" _Gomen kudasai_ ," Makoto said softly as she slid the door open, not even waiting for Tetsuya's permission. Why the door was even closed with another girl in the room was just one more thing she could tease her little man with!

"Mako- _chan_ ," Ami said with a smile and a nod of her head.

"Oh, hey," Tetsuya said, slightly distracted by some scribbles on a piece of paper. Whoever thought it would be a good idea to add the alphabet to math must have been a sadist. Makoto stood for a moment as Tetsuya continued working at the abomination in front of him. Even Ami started to look nervously between Tetsuya and Makoto.

Makoto shrugged and slid her neckerchief from her top and flung it towards the far corner of the small room. Tetsuya didn't notice, but Ami's look turned to one of confusion, then embarrassed horror as Makoto took off her blouse. The look became a scowl, but then a smile and a wink when she saw what Makoto was wearing underneath. She scurried out of the room as Makoto dropped her skirt to the floor. It was then that Tetsuya noticed what was going on.

He stared at her for a few moments, not saying anything. "… Oh."

"I thought you'd like this," she replied. She was wearing the running clothes she had worn the morning Tetsuya had first come to earth. The same figure fitting bright green top that left her shoulders and midriff bared, and the same dark gray short shorts that barely fell past her bottom. "I take it you've had enough time to rest up?"

He smiled. He actually smiled! "Nowhere near enough."

"Well, we can take a nap at my place."

Tetsuya walked over to his small dresser and pulled out a plain red t-shirt and dark shorts. He looked at her again. The smile was no longer there. "One moment, please."

"Of course." She slid the door to his room shut. She was still inside.

"Uhh…"

"Oh, come on. Like you haven't seen up my dress while in battle."

He cracked another smile as he began unbuttoning his shirt. "As lovely as you are, that's the last thing on my mind when fighting. Besides, the only time we ever really fought together was Tokyo Tower."

"And the park in Chiba. _And_ a few moments after we met. And… um…"

He nodded with a shrug as he tossed the shirt into the corner and began tugging at his t-shirt. "Under the bridge. That day, I was unconscious the whole time. At the park, I was distracted by a sword sticking through my arm." He tossed the t-shirt and took off his belt. "At Tokyo Tower, I was focused on the enemy. And as to when we met…" he kicked off his trousers and tossed them on the pile. "Well, let's just say our relationship's improved since then."

"Wait," Makoto said as he reached for his shorts. "Turn around."

Tetsuya shrugged and spun around in a quick circle, facing back towards her.

"You know what I mean."

"Do I?" The smile returned, and there was a bit of life in his eyes.

Makoto placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "As much as you've seen of Ami- _chan_ , you can at least humor me."

Tetsuya put up his hands in surrender. "Alright." He slowly turned around, then faced her again after a moment. "Do you have a thing for skinny boys in tighty-whiteys?"

"You're still skinny, but your ribs aren't showing." She closed the distance between them in two quick strides and picked him up in a fireman's carry. "You're a little heavier. You're finally putting some meat on those bones." She placed him down and eyed the top of his head. "I think you might be hitting a growth spurt." She pushed him to the floor, roughly but playfully after catching him staring. "Hey!"

"Gimme a break. They're right at eye level."

She nodded, wondering how tall he would be when the growth spurt ended. "For now."

"Um, can I please finish getting dressed?"

"For now…" She smiled far too sweetly for the implications.

*.*.*

The young woman shuddered slightly before becoming deadweight in Pala'din's arms. He counted to five, then released the sleeper hold and gently slumped the Cardehyan technician over a maintenance console. He made sure she was breathing, then couldn't help but notice the curvature of her body. She, like about a quarter of the female Cardehyan military population, did not wear the shawl or miniskirt over her red uniform that was considered proper modest attire for a woman in Klijargan society. Pala'din's thoughts were temporarily sent back to the previous evening when he had romanced a gorgeous cougar from Junkago who worked in the med bay.

Then, another woman's shapely form quickly came to mind. He had loved her about as much as a seventeen year old could love a girl, but she gave him very little play because she was of one of the more prudish subsects of the Klijargan religion. While Pala'din had cared for her deeply, he was still a young man, and that meant that he had had certain needs. The two had parted, or so he had thought, as their duties took them to different locations. Her reaction to seeing him again made it clear that she had other ideas as to their future.

A third woman came into mind. A more recent endeavor, but a failed conquest. Pala'din had taken a shine to Hyaloa's beautiful eyes, but it was her tribal artwork that got his heart racing, and thinking of her like that almost made him lightheaded, as the body only had a finite supply of blood. Not only was her artwork intricate and delicately crafted, but she had put her personalized tribal marking on the seat of her ridiculously short bottoms. And the best part was that she _never_ adjusted them when they ran up. She just kept walking. Pala'din had desperately wanted to get with her, but she had eyes for another.

He shook himself to his senses, stopped eyeballing the poor unconscious technician's backside while fixating on Ellyamoin's memories and Hyaloa's artwork, and quickly typed in the coordinates on the transporter's panel before initiating a ten second delay. As the process began, he heard the blares of the ship's klaxons. He smiled as he was ripped apart at the sub-molecular level because they were too late to stop him. He was going to rescue his sister, and that meant that he was going to kill that skulking little traitor to break the spell. If he could off the lightning bitch, too, so much the better. Although his participation in the trial was over, he could still help his nation secure its destiny!

He shook off the haze of the transport and opened his tracking device. He had discreetly flicked a tiny transmitter towards Pethospoe's whore at their last encounter, and as soon as they got back to the ship, he knew that his aim had been true. Heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, sugar levels, other normalcies and oddities were all at his fingertips. Most importantly, her location! She was heading that way, and just as he had predicted, the rat was with her.

He peeked around the corner and chanted a spell while looking at her. Although a spec in the distance, she would find a reason to turn into the alleyway when she crossed the area of the spell's effect. So subtle, yet so effective. He climbed up onto a fire escape and mentally calmed himself, lowering his aura and masking his presence as he waited.

He couldn't help but pause as the thunder bitch led the traitor into the alleyway. Not only was she shapely in her revealing athletic attire, but she really was beautiful. Pala'din hated breaking beautiful things, but in moments, those beautiful green eyes would be staring blankly into the abyss, and the traitor's head would be in a bag.

A shame. She really did love the traitor. He could see it in her eyes and her smile as she led Pethospoe's lips to hers. But this was war. She was a _Val'kurei_ , and Pethospoe… there wasn't even a strong enough word to describe the traitor! He focused on him, only him, as he slowly summoned his three _kwa'ei'faa_ , razor sharp rectangular throwing weapons, and _cheyhrak_ , a short spear. Carefully, deliberately, he raised his hand up for a quick strike.

It wasn't slow enough! The woman's eyes snapped up at him as he threw the deadly weapons at the traitor.

*.*.*

"Do you think he'll be okay," Amara Siegel, formerly Ahtnamas _nel_ Ginjuthu, asked, looking at the crushed camera in her hands.

"I don't think I broke anything," Rei replied. "Well, at least not too badly."

"Does this happen a lot?"

Rei shrugged. "Not too often. At least, not that blatantly. I see a lot of guys drop things and pick them up while trying to look my way. Or, if I'm heading towards the stairs or an escalator, I've seen a few creeps change direction to follow me. Sometimes there's a crowd of them."

"I guess this is normal for you." She motioned at the short skirt. "Junkagoans and Kaggerzyans wear even less, so I'll manage the transition."

Rei shrugged again. "It is what it is. If nine weirdos get a peek up my dress for every one that I get to pulverize, I think it's a fair trade."

Amara smiled slightly. "It is what it is, I guess. But next time, I want to hit the creep."

Rei laughed as their train came to a stop, and two seats became available as several shocked passengers followed the injured pervert out the doors as they opened. "C'mon," she said, taking Amara by the hand and leading her towards the exit.

"Isn't ours the next stop?" she asked as the injured man wailed pitifully, seeing his tormentor getting off at the same stop as him. "I think you made your point."

"Oh, forget him. Let me show you some of Minato Ward's attractions."

Amara looked around. Compared to some of the other shopping areas in Minato, this portion seemed a bit bland. "What's here?"

"This is near where Tetsuya first showed up." She pointed towards a small, manmade lake. "Right there's where he landed. Mako- _chan_ was doing her Sunday morning run…"

"I don't think we should be talking about this out here," Amara said softly.

"You just named two of the less clothed alien races."

Amara winced.

"Oh, don't worry about it. No one picks up on who we really are or what we're talking about unless they already suspect it. It's part of Luna and Artemis's magic."

"But I'm not…"

"They took care of it this morning before you got up. You're now one of us. Speaking of which, you'll need a catchy nickname. Like… Sailor Klijarga!"

Amara shook her head. "After what we did to Tetsuya's home world, every utterance of that name would be a slap in the face. Besides… I'm thinking something more along the lines of, maybe… Red Fox?"

Rei pursed her lips in thought for a moment. " _Aka Kitsune_ , or _Reddo Fakusu_?"

"The English one. _Red Fox_."

Rei shrugged. "We'll run it by Minako- _chan_ , first."

"Mercury?"

"No, that's Ami- _chan_."

"Jupiter?"

"No, that's Mako- _chan_."

"Mars?"

"What? No! That's _me_!"

"Saturn?"

"Nope. That's Hotaru- _chan_."

"Oh, right. Peth… Tetsuya's lover?"

"What?! No! That's Mako… wait… they're not…"

"His lover is the one who tried to kill me? That figures…"

"No… no… just… stop."

She shrugged. "Sorry. Side effects of the enchantment that gave me Mamoru's identity. Which one is Tetsuya sleeping with?"

"No…" Rei blushed. "Well… maybe. I don't know. It's not polite to just talk about it."

"Oh. Right. Sorry. I guess I'm trying too hard to adjust to Earth culture. Who Tetsuya sleeps with is none of my business."

"I don't think Tetsuya's actually doing the dirty dance. That's not the Mako- _chan_ I know."

Amara shrugged. "She didn't seem like she'd even be into men, but her confidence screams tiger in the bed."

"Wait… no. Not the blonde, the other tall one with long brown hair."

"Oh. Green eyes?"

"Yeah! Just like…" Rei yanked Amara around and looked in her eyes. "Since when were your eyes green?"

Amara gently, but firmly pulled away from Rei's grasp. "Michi… the other one with dark hair and purple eyes was adamant that I wear green contacts."

Rei looked her over for a moment, as if visualizing something, then rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course. So, as I was saying." Rei spun around and resumed her tour of Minato Ward. "That's where Mako- _chan_ and Tetsuya laid eyes on each other. It's so cute how he's so small and Mako- _chan's_ so tall, and she's also the first human he saw when he came to Earth. And this…" Amara was yanked ninety degrees to the right as Rei led her down another street. "This is the path they took. He made it over half way to the shrine before the rest of us could get into position."

"Wait… you all attacked him?"

"What? No, no, no. We, um… the button pattern on his outfit sort of reminded us of the Dark Kingdom. We were just trying to be cautious. He actually struck first." Rei winced at the memory of being head butted in the gut and then slamming face first onto the hard pavement. She did a quick summary of the short skirmish, glared at Amara when she giggled at Rei's participation, and pointed in the direction of the alleyway where Makoto and Tetsuya had their standoff. And, of course…

"Is that them now," Amara said, concentrating on two figures approaching from the distance.

"Well, what do you know. She's even wearing the same outfit from… gah!"

It was Amara's turn to yank Rei around, spinning her a bit _too_ quickly, based on the chortle of a lecherous looking old man. "I'm probably the last person he wants to see right now. Let's take another path back to the shrine while our two love birds take a stroll down memory lane."

Rei looked back, both to confirm that the pair had indeed turned into that special alley, and to glare threateningly at the old man, who wisely decided to avert his gaze. "Oh, right," She said, looking back in front of them. "He'll come around."

Amara shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. He became my friend because he had submitted to his captors. It was the logical thing to do to increase his odds of surviving. Things are different, now. If he keeps hating me, then so be it. He's committed to keeping Usagi alive. As long as we have that in common, it's good enough for me, and it should be good enough for all of you."

Rei nodded. "He said he'd rather die than live in a world without her, and he doesn't even have the hots for her."

Amara looked down at Rei. "He said _that?_ "

Rei nodded. "Usagi- _chan's_ full of surprises. I feel exactly the same way. I'd happily give my life for her again."

Amara stopped. "A… again?"

Rei smiled and opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Makoto screamed in the distance.

*.*.*

"Half way there," Makoto said, breathing steadily as she put one foot in front of the other, again and again and again and again. If she was lucky, she might even get caught in a nice, cool drizzle. Although she could run in the August sun at noon if need be, it was important to take in the small joys of life. After all, with everything that was going on, there was no guarantee that she and Tetsuya would even make it to her apartment.

"I'd follow that all the way to Aomori Station," Tetsuya replied.

"Why stop there?"

"Can't afford tickets for the Tsugaru-Kaikyou Line."

Makoto looked back to see what part of her his eyes were shamelessly glued on. "Other parts of your body need the blood flow," she teased.

"I'll manage."

"You'd better."

"So, what are we going to do at your apartment?"

Makoto shrugged. "We'll find out. Maybe I can introduce you to my new friend."

"You have pet?"

"Sort of. The last couple of days, this weird dove's been hanging out in my window. I know it's probably just bird mange, but it looks like he has a mohawk."

"How do you know it's a he?"

She looked back at him again. "You're hardly winded."

"I have a lot less weight to carry."

"But it's also hot!"

"Heat doesn't bother me too much. Cold, on the other hand…"

"Winter's usually not too bad in Tokyo. And my eyes are up here."

He continued staring at her backside. "Your eyes are beautiful." He finally met her gaze. "So, how do you know it's a he-dove?"

Makoto looked back in front of her. "He flies away whenever I start to undress."

"A real gentleman."

"What would you do in his place?"

Tetsuya huffed a laugh. "I'd make sure you didn't notice me in the first place, for starters. After that…"

Makoto felt a small hand tap her bottom as Tetsuya ran past her.

"I think I know the way from here."

Instinctually, she found herself grabbing the back of Tetsuya's shirt and pulling him to a stop, leading him into an alleyway. And why not? It was _that_ alleyway!

"Um…"

"Don't you recognize it?" She pulled Tetsuya in close.

"Is this where we fought?"

"Yeah. Things almost didn't end too well for me." She turned Tetsuya to face him. "How about a rematch?"

"Um…"

"How did it end? Oh, that's right." She took his face in hers and kissed him. They closed their eyes, and Makoto giggled as she slapped his hand when it started to run down past the small of her back. "We're still in public."

"But not for long?"

"I guess we should settle this in a more secluded place."

"What are your intentions, Koko?"

Makoto shrugged. "I don't know. Isn't it exciting?"

He started to reply, but Makoto leaned in to kiss him again. A tiny flicker of light caught her attention, and she looked up just as a figure threw three shiny objects at them. Makoto spun Tetsuya around, shielding him with her body.

 _CLINK! CLINK! THOCK!_ Makoto screamed in pain as the third object cut through her leg. She fell to the ground, rolling with the momentum of her spin. Tetsuya bounced audibly off of a dumpster, already wearing his Journeyman outfit with his red sword materialized in his hand. Makoto pulled her pen out of her sock as she heard the clash of weapons.

"Jupiter Power, make-UP!" In a swirl of flashing green light, Makoto pushed herself to her feet just as the figure, a blond young man wearing blue jeans and a red sweater slammed Tetsuya's face into the brick wall. He dropped his sword and fell limply to the ground. "NOOOO!"

Despite the gash in her leg, there was no pain, no muscle failure. No excuse, and no mercy! "Jupiter!" Makoto charged towards the dead man, calling upon the spirits of Zeus, Thor, Indra, Xolotl, and the Thunder Emperors of the Five Regions to heed her call! "Sparkling…" Her opponent leapt, kicking off the side of the alley to the other wall and kicking again to leap higher into the air. "Wide…" He flipped mid air, kicking off the first wall with both feet, hurling himself towards Makoto, a pointed silver stick spearheading the way. "PRESSURE!"

The man screamed as he slammed into her, the tip of his weapon tearing coldly through her shoulder. She didn't feel the pain through the adrenaline and the boiling, desperate fury. The electric shock of her close range attack burned her body, but she only felt the searing heat and the tight strains of the spasming muscles as she fell back. She felt the stick start to dislodge as her back hit the ground, and saw stars as the back of her head cracked into the pavement.

Makoto was nearly yanked up to a sitting position as the attacker roughly dislodged the stick from her. "Jupiter…" She hit her head on the pavement again as her torso limply fell back. Her assailant rolled back, scooped up two of the silver throwing rectangles, and raised his hand to throw them.

 _Please be safe, Tetsuya._ She was about to die. That was all that there was to it. He would have to find happiness with another woman while on Earth, and she would confess her feelings to Shinozaki the moment she saw him in heaven. Awaiting eternity, she didn't even registerthe flowing warmth pooling around her shoulder.

"Gah!" The attacker dropped the two throwing squares as a white dove with an odd case of head mange flew right into his face. It bounced off and began flapping away past Makoto, and she took that split second of extra time to make her move as the assailant reached down again.

"Supreme…" The stranger raised his hand for the attack. At least she would take him out with her! "THUNDER!"

The blast spun the man around, and the first rectangle cut a stray lock of hair from her head. Down on one knee, he readied for a second throw. This was it. She had failed. Her enemy was still alive and fighting. The others would have to finish the job for her.

 _Be strong for me, my little man. I love you._

*.*.*

Amara yanked Rei off of her feet, tossing her inside of a dumpster. No one was paying attention to them, instead looking off in the direction of the bloodcurdling scream. Before she finished the first step of her sprint, a pshychadellic neon flash had turned her from the new girl at the TA Academy into the female Tuxedo Mask.

By her third step, she heard "Mars Power, Make-UP!" Several unfortunate pedestrians were knocked to the side or a few feet into the air as Amara plowed through anything and anyone that didn't get out of her way. She felt the Earth guiding her steps, keeping her footing sure as she made a path towards the alleyway Rei had spoken of mere moments ago.

A deafening clap of thunder tore through the air as she rounded the corner to the alleyway. A metallic _SHINK!_ sounded as she laid eyes on the attacker. _Oh, no…_ Pala'din! Why was he here?! He was spun to the ground, several arcs of electricity dancing across his form as he raised his hand for another attack. Amara mentally summoned Tuxedo Mask's cane, blocking downward as she leapt over a severely wounded Sailor Jupiter to block the second _kwa'ei'faa_ from cutting into and through her throat.

She spun the cane up, yanked out the throwing weapon, and magically dismissed it so her misguided brother couldn't use it again. "Why are you here?!"

"So, he's still alive," Pala'din replied.

She glanced at the still form of Tetsuya Journey, a red smear over cracked brick at the height of his head, and a small pool spreading from his head as he lay twitching on the ground. Everything seemed surreal. If Tetsuya was dead, Pala'din would also die, because Amara would be unable to stop the fury of a Moon Revenge. And she would likely die as well, defending the man she had called brother for over a decade. She had to save Tetsuya, or all three of them were dead!

Rei's gasp was her cue, and Amara flung several roses at Pala'din, sticking him in the arm and grazing a leg. "Hold him off!" She leapt towards Tetsuya, hands glowing white.

"Mars! Burning Mandara!"

Amara felt the life force bleeding out of her and into Tetsuya, and from the Earth back into her, but at a much slower rate. She smiled for a heartbeat. The fact that she was healing him meant that he wasn't dead yet. A quick glance at Makoto told her that if the fight lasted for more than a couple minutes, Minako… or was it Michiru? Whoever Sailor Jupiter was, she would bleed out if Ahtnamas couldn't finish the fight quickly.

*.*.*

 _THUNK!_ The rectangle embedded itself in a black cane that smacked her in the face as it transferred its momentum, and a pair of long legs leapt over her. A very blurry, very feminine Tuxedo Mask swung its cane at the attacker, but Makoto didn't hear the clack of the magical weapons as everything went dark.

Perhaps Shinozaki would have to romance a lonely ghost, instead.

*.*.*

"Hold him off!"

"Mars! Burning Mandara!"

Pala'din rolled to his feet, dodging several of the fiery missiles, and getting burned by the last few. Between the burns and the involuntary contractions of his electrified muscles, he found the ground rushing up to greet his face.

"Fire Soul!"

Pala'din focused his energy on his left arm and braced it to block the attack. He screamed in pain as the residual energy burned through and into his arm.

"Burning…"

"DON'T KILL HIM!" Ahtnamas shrieked.

The dark haired sorceress looked back for a moment. Pala'din flung his last _kwa'ei'faa_ , and his opponent looked back in time to dodge out of the way, and head first into a large metallic waste receptacle with a resonating _BANG!_ noise. She swayed and walked face first into the opposite wall of the narrow alleyway and fell flat on her back. She made a halfhearted effort to get up before going limp.

"That was easy…"

*.*.*

 _BANG!_

"That was easy…"

Amara snapped her eyes over to see Rei drop to the ground as limp as Sailor Jupiter and Tetsuya. Pala'din struggled to his feet and shrugged, looking Amara in the eye. A look of genuine remorse crossed his face. "I'm so sorry, Nammy, but I have to do this to save you."

"I'm not under his control!" Amara spun to her feet, summoning another rose and hurling it as Pala'din leapt towards her. He batted the floral dart aside and connected his _cheyhrak_ spear with the tip of her cane, spinning it aside. She pulled back and deflected the anticipated thrust, and saw stars as the inevitable energy blast shot out of his free hand, hurtling her into the wall next to Tetsuya's sprawled form.

"He'd make you say that!" Pala'din feinted and stabbed, knowing that Amara wouldn't abandon her position over Tetsuya. She snarled and cried out, spinning and accepting a glancing gash on her shoulder blade as she finished her spin, a blast of energy flying from the edge of her cane, flinging Pala'din into the opposite wall a few feet away.

The two stared in astonishment. She had just sung with her weapon. She was a singer! _Idiot!_ They both realized the folly of their hesitation, neither seizing the advantage. Pala'din rolled to the side and to his feet as Amara typed in Usagi's code on her watch. Pala'din launched a second blast from his free hand, and Amara absorbed most of the blow with her cane and charged towards her misguided brother.

Pala'din dropped his short spear and Amara felt the powerful eddies of magic as he summoned the energy into both of his hands. Forfeiting her advantage as she heard Usagi's voice, Amara grabbed both of Pala'din's wrists and screamed. "Help me, Sailor Moon!" She lurched her head forward to head butt Pala'din, and saw even more stars as he obviously had the same thing in mind. They both stumbled back to their respective walls, and Amara kept her feet under her while Pala'din fell to the ground.

Hoping to end the fight then and there, she leapt towards him, but as the world kept spinning, she leapt face first into the wall right beside him. She grunted as a third speckling of stars entered her narrowing visage and heard Pala'din scrambling away. She turned to see him scurrying towards one of his two remaining _kwa'ei'faas_ , and Tetsuya. "No!"

She summoned the powers of the Earth to heed her desperate plea and fired a blast that flung the _kaw'ei'faa_ out of his reach and blast a few chunks of the pavement into his chest. He growled and rolled away, wincing in pain. She felt the ripples of power vibrating again and knew he was summoning up for another blast, even as he fell back to the ground, unable to stand straight.

 _Please guide my steps!_ She planted her shaky legs underneath her and sprang with all of her might, hurtling across the alleyway and landing on top of Pala'din, knocking the aim of his blast off just enough so that he didn't directly hit Tetsuya. His small form still rolled away from the shockwave, but he would likely still be alive.

"You don't… un…huuurrrkkk…"

Amara wrapped her arm under Pala'din's neck and squeezed with all her might, and began slamming her forehead into the back of his. Then again. And again. Four, five, six times. She stopped, counted to five, then released her grasp. Pala'din shuddered, then relaxed. Amara checked to make sure he was still breathing, then winced as she took his hand in hers. "Forgive me, brother."

 _CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!_ Amara ignored the bile rising in her throat after the disgusting act of breaking Pala'din's wrists and ankles, and crawled towards Sailor Jupiter, who was laying in a small pool of her own blood. She summoned the healing powers of the Tuxedo Mask again, and pressed her fingers into the gushing wound.

It was then that Amara began to notice the ringing in her ears as she forcefully swallowed down her stomach's second ill-timed attempted to regurgitate its contents. As she once again felt even more of her life force flowing out of her much faster than the Earth could replenish it, she looked over towards Rei's unconscious form. There was a noticeable bump on her forehead, but she was visibly breathing, and likely not in any mortal peril.

Amara looked towards Tetsuya. His small form was no longer convulsing, only a slight rising and falling as he continued to breathe. Then, for the fourth time, more stars filled her sight as Sailor Jupiter rocketed her torso up into a sitting position, knocking heads with Amara and spinning her to the ground.

"You're still breathing," she growled as she looked at Pala'din's unconscious body. "Unacceptable."

"Sailor Jupiter," Amara said as she struggled to get to her feet. "He's no longer a threat. Journeyman will be alright."

As she reached for the Goddess of Lightning, an elbow to the face sent her a foot into the air and before hitting the ground hard. There were now two Sailor Jupiters stalking towards two defenseless Pala'dins. "Please!"

"Touch me again, and you're my enemy!" Sailor Jupiter was only a few steps from her brother.

Amara almost blacked out just from the effort to summon another rose. She flung it, but she only caught it in Sailor Jupiter's skirt. The warrior of lightning stopped, looked and the rose, pulled it from her skirt, and flung it back as she whirled around. It sank deep in Amara's palm, protruding through the other side.

"You traitor!" Before Amara could even scream in pain, Sailor Jupiter leapt on top of her, pinning her arms under the weight of her powerful legs, and wrapped her hands around her neck. Amara struggled in vain as the woman began crushing her windpipe. Everything began to grow dark. Then, a bright silver light filled her eyes, and she felt as if everything was just right, just as it should be. It was as if all the chaos and confusion and pain had been wiped away, and the whole world had just gone through a nice… _Refresh!_

As the comforting darkness took her, Amara wondered if kissing Segraius would feel that good.

*.*.*

 _Tetsuya!_ Makoto shot upright, knocking someone out of her way. She looked over at Tetsuya, still unconscious, but breathing, and not bleeding. As the world faded in and out, it seemed to make sense. He could heal quickly, after all. She looked over at their attacker, ignoring an unconscious Rei- _chan_. It was still alive!

"You're still breathing," she growled as she swayed to her feet. "Unacceptable."

"Sailor Jupiter," a distantly familiar voice said. "He's no longer a threat. Journeyman will be alright."

Someone foolishly grabbed her shoulder. That was stupid of them! She snarled as she flung her elbow back, connecting squarely with something solid. She smiled a feral huntress's grin as she heard a body hit the ground.

"Please!"

She didn't have time for any malarkey. She was going to kill that son of a circuit breaker _before_ Usagi had a chance to save him! "Touch me again, and you're my enemy!" She was only a few steps from her quarry. As she reached out to grab the dead man who was soon to be a dead man, she felt something yank at her fuku.

She stared in utter disbelieve at the brazen stupidity. That traitor! She had flung a rose at her with Mamoru- _san's_ stolen powers! She was still on _their_ side! Makoto grabbed the dart and flung it at the soon to be dead woman. Her aim was perfect, and it tore through her hand, sticking through the other end.

"You traitor!" Makoto leapt on top of her, pinning the off worlder's arms under the weight of her powerful legs, and wrapped her hands around her neck. The poor little whelp struggled pitifully as she squeezed Astraea's justice into her throat! But before the deed could be done, a silver light engulfed her.

In an instant of clarity, she cried out in horror at what she had almost done! But it was okay. Everything was going to be alright, now. The battle rage was purged from her mind and her senses returned as the warmth of love and forgiveness flowed through her. In that moment, Makoto understood why Usagi had pledged to try and spare Jorvist's life.

 _Usagi-_ chan _, I'm so sorry for ever doubting you._

"Refresh!" She cried out with joy and relief as the evil that had almost possessed her was forcibly exorcised from her body. She was already unconscious when she fell next to the woman she had been seconds from killing.

*.*.*

Usagi had sounded the alarm to the rest of the Senshi. Before she could get there, the message had been given that the battle was won, but everyone was needed at the shrine to channel their powers to their only two healers. The sight tore at Minako's heart, and fueled the fires of her righteous fury.

Amara's face was still swollen from several blows, and blood oozed from a gash along her back as she gritted her teeth through the pain and fatigue and continued to heal her dearest friend, her partner in crime, her Mako- _chan_. She was still unconscious, her normally bright white _fuku_ blouse stained crimson with a large hole over her shoulder. Once again, her skin was all red from overdoing her electricity thing. There was no other option. _Someone_ was going to pay!

She didn't even bother with Rei, who channeled the powers of Mars. She didn't give a glance as Hotaru healed Tetsuya's broken face. She stalked past the circle of healing, ignored the cries of protest and pleas for help, and charged towards where the prisoner was being kept.

He was absolutely _dead!_ He was absolutely _finished!_ He was absolutely… "Gorgeous…" Minako stared wide-eyed at the man who looked at her through unfocused, but dazzling blue eyes. They complemented the golden sheen of his sun kissed hair. Even hogtied with visible injuries to his wrists and ankles, she could tell he was tall, and muscular, and oh, so dreamy!

She spun out of the room and slammed the door shut, giggling madly. "I've found him! I've found my one true love!" She skipped gleefully up to Amara and summoned the power of the Love Goddess herself and channeled it into the team's exhausted backup medic.

*.*.*

Was she an angel? Was he still dreaming? Was he… dead? Was it real? Pala'din shook his head, and moaned as his broken wrists and ankles began sending messages to his conscious brain. The ache was dull, but hot and intense. Each beat of his heart sent multiple throbs from multiple extremities.

But he couldn't help it! The visage played through his mind again, and his heart sang. And by sang, it actually just beat a lot faster, causing the throbs to throb a lot faster. But, oh, it was _worth_ it! Pink, wine colored lips, golden wheat colored hair that flowed long and free, blue eyes that gleamed like sapphires in the afternoon sunlight, a shapely bosom, and long, long legs that led to a tight, firm caboose.

Or… was it just a dream?

The pain faded as the room grew dark again.

After what seemed like no time at all, the pain, and the consciousness returned. He opened his eyes, and they slowly came into focus. She was there! She was real!

"You're beautiful," he wheezed softly. Then his senses started returning to him as his narrowed vision widened again. "Oh, shit…"

He had fallen in love with a filthy _val'kurei_! He wanted to snarl at her, and the other members of the moon bitch's cult. But he looked into her eyes again. She wasn't enchanting him, she was just simply enchanting. His heart dropped at the thought of taking the life out of those beautiful blue orbs.

"She's taken a shine to you," Ahtnamas said softly. "Despite the fact that you damn near killed her best friend."

"Oh," the nameless angel said whimsically, "people make mistakes."

"I'm really sorry about losing control like that," Pethospoe's whore said, looking at Ahtnamas.

She smiled back at her. "Don't worry about it. Remember that fury the next time we go into battle."

He looked at her in utter amazement. He opened his senses to the flows of magic. There was a lot of healing, but not a drop of the mind control spell that could turn a captured emulator against her friends. She was on their side! "… Nammy?"

Ahtnamas smiled at him. "It's okay. The sword is red."

He stared at her for a moment. "What?"

"Tetsuya took the actual sword and turned it red. The blue one is the replica."

He took a moment to digest what had just been revealed to him. Then he remembered that he didn't even believe in the superstitions, but it was better to keep such things like that to one's self.

And just like that, Pala'din knew that he was now a traitor to the Klijargan Empire. He would not, under any circumstances, report that his sister was a willing traitor, or raise his blade against her to kill. He was just as screwed as Sailor Moon, and he was probably going to die very soon. The reality set the room spinning. "Oh… hold… hold me… my angel…"

He closed his eyes as the blonde beauty with the orange skirt that twirled up just for him came to his side. He felt a searing pain, but a good searing pain, burning through his broken bones and he knew that he was being healed. After several moments, his wounds were partially healed enough for his bindings to be cut. He wanted to continue to talk to the gorgeous warrior who seemed as taken in by him as he had been by her, but the exhaustion was too much. In a state of physical, mental and emotional overload, his brain forced a reset, and the world went dark.

*.*.*

"My hachimaki stone," Minako said softly while she stroked Pala'din's hair. Luna and Artemis silently scurried out of the room.

"So, what is that?" Luna playfully asked. "Her twenty-nine hundredth, eighty-third first love?"

"He's only the second to reciprocate," Artimis replied.

The smile faded away from Luna's face. "The first one didn't end so well."

"Perhaps Klijargan men find a decisive woman to be alluring," he replied, changing the subject back to a more lighthearted tone.

"It could be the head trauma," Luna said as the two cats leapt through an open window to the outside.

Artemis smiled. "We'll keep an eye on him."

"And have a word with Amara."

"Tomorrow."

"So, it's a date?"

Artemis winked, and the two cats leapt over the Shrine's fence and ran through several alleyways, jumping through the broken window and into an abandoned warehouse. Usagi, Rin and the Outer Senshi were already there. Usagi's eyes said it all, and Luna and Artemis knew what had to be done. There was only one question.

"When?" Artemis asked.

"As soon as he's awake," Usagi replied.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Note from the author: Yes, I know it's Tuesday…  
This is my last weekly(ish) update for awhile. I'm going to a bi-weekly update for the time being. And let me clarify that, as English is stupid. Bi-weekly can mean either twice a week, or once every other week. Same definition, but with a difference of a factor of four. So, I will be updating once every 14ish days. Between Otakon and studying for CASP, I just won't have enough time to write one chapter per week for the next couple of months. Chapter Five will be up between 31 July and 3 August.

Well… okay. I _would_ have enough time, but the knowledge for the Comptia Advanced Security Practitioner exam isn't just going to magically pop into my head. Being an adult sucks, which is why I avoid acting like one whenever it is socially acceptable.

Also… Codename: Sailor V references at the end.

;)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five _Of Pigeons and Poker_

" _Itai!_ " the angelic _Val'Kurei_ yelped as Pala'din reached up and pinched her cheek.

"Oh, right…" he said softly, his eyes peeking mischievously through half opened slits. "You're supposed to pinch me. But maybe I don't want to wake up."

"Oh… yes… um…"

"Dyaaaa!" Pala'din's eyes snapped the rest of the way open as she pinched his nose and gave it a bit of an overly enthusiastic twist.

"So, I'm Minako Aino, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Pala'din sat up, or tried to as the room began to spin. There was a slight ring in his ears from when Ahtnamas had clobbered his head, which was understandable. Healing magic quickly drained the caster. Once a casualty was either able to fight again, or no longer dying, they were expected to heal the rest of the way on their own.

"I got'cha! Oops…"

Pala'din started to fall away from her, and she pulled him into her. His face rested against her chest. "I think we should slow things down just a bit," he said as Minako eased him back down onto her lap. He noticed that she was no longer a _Val'Kurei_ , but simply a gorgeous young woman dressed in a shapely orange shirt. It had long sleeves and covered her slender neck with the collar folding down. He knew the style had a name, and he knew he would learn it.

"Oh! Um… right…"

"Now that I'm no longer suffering from severe head trauma, I still think you're quiet lovely. How do people on Earth go about this kind of thing?"

Minako swallowed hard. "You… you're asking me out? On a date?"

He winked at her. "If that is how it's done. I am very interested in you, and I would be overjoyed if you would… date me out?"

Minako giggled. "So, you're staying with us on Earth?"

"Ahtnamas has been like a sister to me. If she's decided to fight against the Empire, then I guess I'm in the same caravan as she is. So, yes."

"Caravan?"

"The first members of the Klijargan faith were desert people. Leaving a caravan was the same as jumping off of a ship in the middle of the ocean. So, no matter how bad things were, the alternative was far worse."

"Ah! So we're all in the same boat."

Pala'din sat up again, more slowly. He stared at Minako for a moment, and she stared back.

"Same… boat… and…"

"I really want to kiss you right now."

"Okay…"

Pala'din chuckled and slowly got his feet under him. His ankles cried out in pain, but he forced himself passed it with only a slight wince. "I'd help you to your feet, but…"

Minako bounced happily to her feet, and while Pala'din kept his eyes locked onto her lovely blue orbs, his peripheral vision picked up on another, slightly delayed bounce.

"You're a perky one."

Minako smiled ear to ear. "So, I'll see you around."

"The sooner the… Watch out!"

Minako bounced off of Ahtnamas as she entered the room, but managed to keep on her feet, stopping just an inch from backing into Pala'din. " _Gomen_ ," she said to Ahtnamas before whirling around and kissing him gently on the lips. She scurried off, giggling like a small forest animal. He wondered if the word monkey was the right name of the animal he was thinking of.

"Good to see you're on your feet," Ahtnamas said. Her facial expression said something entirely different.

"It still hurts to walk," Pala'din replied evenly. "So, I guess there's a lot to…"

"Does it hurt when I do this?" Ahtnamas closed the distance in two sudden strides, pinning Pala'din against the wall and constricting his windpipe with her forearm.

"Ack…"

"She is still a child, not even of her planet's age."

"Hurk…"

"I gave you a pass for what you did to Ellyamoin because you're my brother, and because she was kind of a bitch to me, but you will _not_ play your little games with my friends."

Pala'din punched Ahtnamas, but the temporary guardian of the Earth stood her ground.

"Aht…nahhh…maaaas… I… luuurved… her…"

Pala'din fell to the ground coughing as Ahtnamas pulled away from him. "You lusted for her. Even she didn't deserve to be discarded like that. Well," she shrugged. "Maybe a little. But, you're not going to do that to Ami- _chan_."

"… _what?_ "

"Break it off with Sailor Pluto, or I'll borrow her sword and chop _them_ off myself! And don't call me Ahtnamas! Until I leave this world, I'm Amara Siegel. Your name is Andrew, and you're my twin brother. You get all of that? Good!"

Ahtamas, or apparently _Amara_ , stormed off, leaving an utterly shaken, and truly perplexed, Pala'din, or _Andrew_ , he guessed, to recover on the floor.

*.*.*

"This is… something else," Tetsuya said softly as Ami placed the cool cloth on his forehead. She had informed him of the very recent developments upon regaining consciousness.

"She always picks the worst ones," Ami replied.

"How bad was it?"

Ami took his hand in hers, but said nothing.

"That bad, huh? Well, Amara and Hotaru know what they're doing."

Ami gave his hand a squeeze before letting go.

"Koko still asleep?"

She nodded. "Her wounds are healed, but she almost died of blood loss. Only rest can restore that."

"Cow," he replied softly.

"Milk?"

Tetsuya shook his head. "Lots of zinc in beef."

"Iron," Ami corrected.

Tetsuya smiled. "Hey, battle buddy," he said as Hotaru opened the door. "What's up?"

Hotaru didn't return the smile as the other Outer Senshi and Usagi walked in.

"No… please…"

"I'm sorry, Tetsuya," Usagi said. "We all saw what you nearly did to Amara."

"I… I didn't mean it. Ami, please. You can't let them do this."

Ami looked between Tetsuya and Usagi. "What is going on?" She asked calmly, hiding the rising panic in her gut.

"They're… ugh…" Tetsuya forced himself to his feet and leaned against the wall for support. "They're sending me away."

"Blink," Michiru said.

Rin began a soft, melodic chant, swaying her head slowly side to side. In a few heartbeats, the chanting stopped. "He's not going anywhere," she said.

The two cats scurried in and Tetsuya curled into a ball.

"No! I'm sorry! Please! Amiko! Don't let them take everything away from me!"

Before Ami could even react, a firm but gentle hand guided her out of the room. In her sudden state of shock, she found herself numbly complying with Hotaru's grasp as Tetsuya's panicked cries became muffled.

"TETSUYA JOURNEY!" The two cats shouted in unison, and then, there was silence.

"They…"

Hotaru nodded. "He'll still remember all of us, just not his identity as the Journeyman, or the fact that he wasn't born Tetsuya Journey." Hotaru sighed. "I guess that this is the part where I'm supposed to tell you that it's going to be okay, Ami- _san_."

Ami nodded mindlessly, still processing what had just happened.

*.*.*

"So, he'll remember everything else," Rei stated, more than asked.

"Other than…" Minako started.

"She's going to break something. Or someone." Rei nodded at Usagi.

"He never should have been dragged into any of this," Usagi replied. "He never had a chance to recover from the traumas of the past. If things had gone differently, he would have murdered Naru- _chan_. Perhaps all of us."

"And you trust Mako- _chan_ not to do that to you when she finds out the scenario you've planted in his head?" Rei put her hands on Usagi's shoulders. "Please tell me that wasn't your idea. You've made so much progress!"

"He needs to have a love life with a normal girl, not a planetary guardian who will undoubtedly suck him back into the fight."

"Did you dig up this long lost love, or is that just a front?"

"It's…"

"And now you're just gonna waltz around with your model fiancé on your arm in front of her again?"

"Rei- _chan_ …" Minako pleaded.

"We all put up with it because in addition to you being our princess, he was also our prince, and the father of Chibi-Usa- _chan_. We didn't begrudge you your good fortune too much, but _this_ is crossing the line!"

"I had to make a decision," Usagi said.

"And it had the blessing from Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna?"

"Actually, yes."

Rei crossed her arms in frustration. "I love you with all of my heart, Usagi- _chan_ , and I'd take another blast from Galaxia for you in half a beat of that heart, but if a situation arises where it's best to break me up from my Yuii- _chan_ , just kill me in my sleep."

"Whoa," Minako interjected. "That's a _bit_ of an escalation!"

"The other citizens of the moon should have had enough time to partially reawaken with so much activity from the Silver Crystal over the last several years. I'm not the first Sailor Mars, and I won't be the last. There are others who are capable of taking my place."

"Um, Rei- _chan_ …"

"Just give Yuui a memory of me making him promise to move on before I died in his arms…" A snarl crossed her face as she wiped away the tears before they fell. "You should have trusted Mako- _chan_ to deliver the news in person."

"I never…" Usagi started.

"You broke faith with her! She would have hated you for a week, but she would have done it, and she would have forgiven you and moved on. But _this?!_ You might as well wipe her memory, too! There are other capable…" Rei turned and buried her head in Minako's shoulder, unable to fight back the indignation.

Usagi opened her mouth again, but she knew that then was not the time to clear up the misunderstanding. She reached out, but held her hand near Rei's bobbing shoulders. Minako nodded silently to her, and Usagi braced herself for a smack that would send her to the floor. Serenely, she wrapped her arm around Rei and gently hugged her.

The blow never came. The two stayed with Rei until she calmed herself enough to ask them to leave her alone. Minako sighed softly as she slid the door shut behind them.

"You knew Mako- _chan_ would say yes," she said as the two went to wake the sleeping Goddess of Thunder. "That's why you removed her from the equation."

Usagi nodded.

"You're making the right decision, but it's just not like you to give up so easily."

"This isn't about what we want."

"How far is this going to go?"

"We need to ease our way out of his life. We're poison to him. For all the powers I have to heal and purify a tortured soul, I'm also a giant magnet for powerful bad guys and terrible monsters. He needs a normal life. As long as he's in our inner circle, he'll keep getting pulled right back in."

"Is that why you haven't visited Naru- _chan?_ "

Usagi nodded as she reached for the door to Amara's room where Makoto was resting. The blood drained from her face as she stood there.

"I got this one," Minako said as she slid the door open and scurried inside.

*.*.*

It was wet, cold, and more wet. She didn't need the downpour to hide her tears, as none were falling. For all the awful things Tetsuya had done in the heat of battle, he had still been good to her. He had taught her that it was okay to fall in love again. It was okay to dream about wedding dresses and owning a bakery. Or a cake shop. Or maybe even a fancy restaurant with a Michelin Star.

He had taught her that it was okay to be Kino Makoto, and she couldn't even shed a few tears for him. And while Usagi wasn't wrong, she also hadn't gotten it completely right. Makoto would have done it. She would have fed the lie of a long lost love returning. Usagi had trusted her to do that, but she had erred in taking the responsibility away from her. She owed it to Tetsuya to be the one delivering the breakup.

And she couldn't even muster a single tear for him…

She didn't really know where she was going, but she knew that she was going there for a reason. She could feel it. She kept her guard up, but she didn't flee. If it was a trap, she would be given the perfect excuse to do what she had tried to do to Amara without interruption. If not, well, she was a magical girl, after all. Weird things happened.

Like suddenly being unable to cry over a ruined relationship.

Her steps became less sure as she started shuddering. Or was she shaking? No. She was shivering! To think that only a few hours earlier, she was uncomfortably hot, and now, she was freezing. Then again, being short a couple pints of blood severely hindered the body's ability to keep a steady temperature.

Makoto knew she was walking in the rain, and she knew that she had started walking from the Shrine. She didn't really know where she was, as the street signs were blurred by the sheet of rain, but she knew she was somewhere within walking distance. She also knew that Minako was in one piece after delivering the message.

Usagi had made the call, but Minako broke the news to her. Rather than a torrent of rage, or a storm of sorrow, there was simply a feeling of detachment. Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe she would wake up at the Shrine with her little man, all healed up and watching over her as she let her body rebuild its depleted blood supply. Maybe she would wake up and be given the news that he didn't make it.

Maybe that was what really happened. Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe she was still asleep after passing out from the horrible news. She hadn't seen Tetsuya since getting blasted by Usagi's purification attack. She hadn't laid eyes on him. Was he still alive? Were they still broken up? Were his memories of his life before Earth still erased?

Makoto turned to her right and walked under an oddly familiar bridge. The rain stopped drenching her, and she realized that it was once again a full cloudburst, and she couldn't see more than several feet in front of her. Under the bridge was a different story. Standing in front of her was a ghost.

"Oh, shit…" She managed to murmur as everything went dark.

*.*.*

Usagi didn't register the sound of the door closing, or the sounds of conversation between Minako and Makoto as she walked away. She only realized that Yuuichirou was gently shaking her.

"Rei already called your parents," he said.

Usagi blinked.

"The whole prefecture's in a state of emergency. The storm's picking up strength. You and the others are bunking here."

"But, school…"

"Already cancelled for tomorrow and Saturday." Yuuichirou gently ushered Usagi away from the front door. "If things don't clear up by tomorrow, there's plenty of _hakamas_ for you all to wear."

" _Hai_ …" Usagi replied with a sigh. She walked into the living room to see everyone except for Rei, Makoto and Tetsuya. "Mamo- _chan!_ " The life returned to her as she leapt into her beloved's arms.

"It's good to be back to normal, my love," he replied. "Although it's only been a few days, it feels like it's been over a year since I had my powers taken from me…"

Rin whispered a few words towards a glowing key that was floating in the air. With a twist of her fingers, the key turned, disappeared, and all noise from outside of the room vanished. "Secured."

"Good. All the stuff's out," Amara said. "One scout suit, one wooden flute, and one locket."

"A locket," Usagi asked.

"It's private," Amara replied evenly. "If he didn't show it to any of you, then it's none of your business. At least give his erased past the respect it deserves."

"What crawled up your shapely bum?" Haruka asked.

"I did," Andrew said. "I think we should all formally re-introduce ourselves. I am Andrew Siegel, and I have not been a gentleman in my past. Amara is afraid that my intentions with Minako might not be…"

"Cut… them… off!" Amara hissed.

"Her fears are justified."

"Amara," Minako said. "My name is Minako Aino, and I am Sailor Venus."

"… Oh," Amara said. "That makes some sense, now. You still shouldn't date him." She turned to glare at him. "Hurt her, and I'll tie them off with her whip!"

One by one, the other Senshi and Tuxedo Mask introduced themselves to the Siegel twins. Then the cats introduced themselves. Then, they cleared up which of the missing girls were Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars. Lastly, they decided to go with the cover story that the Journeyman had tragically died in battle against Andrew, and as penance for his mistake, he would serve alongside Amara and the Senshi until the Klijargans were defeated.

After a few laughs from Ami and Minako about the name Red Fox, it was decided that Amara would go by the alter ego of Lady Fox. After a surprisingly heated argument between Minako and Artemis, it was decided that Andrew would become the second Phantom Ace. And after a heartfelt apology between Artemis and Minako, Rin ended her enchantment. The roaring sound of the rain battering the roof filled everyone's ears as Makoto stumbled out of the linen closet.

"Long story," she said, showing off a bracelet.

*.*.*

 _Makoto Kino, you idiot…_

Of all the stupid things she'd ever done, she had to go and get herself killed by wandering off by herself while still injured. Or had she been dead the whole time? Had she bled out during the fight? Was this simply her brain going haywire as the oxygen supply faded and brain death started? Did Amara even survive the battle?

As the darkness came into focus, she saw the features of the man who had left before her. There was no floor, no ceilings, no walls, but she was on solid ground. There was nothing but darkness, yet she could see him clearly as if there was light.

"I thought heaven would have been prettier."

Shinozaki Uzuki arched an eyebrow at her as she rested her head in his lap. He gently put one hand over her mouth, then softly pinched her nose shut with the other. She merely stared in amazement at the specter for a moment.

Then, an all too familiar discomfort started emanating from her chest, and her body's instincts told her to draw breath. As she started to squirm, Shinozaki released his gentle grasp and Makoto filled her lungs with air.

"Since when do the dead need to breathe?" He asked in a soft voice, a voice she never thought she'd ever hear again in the realm of consciousness.

"But… how…"

He motioned towards his feet and pulled up his left pant leg, revealing a metallic prosthetic. "I was mostly rescued, but a piece of shrapnel outran the flames." He brought her eyes to his. "I thought I was going to die as the flames rushed towards me. Before I was snatched away, I thought of you."

Makoto swallowed hard and struggled out of his gentle grasp and shot to her feet. There was no dizziness, no pain in her chest. "You healed me?"

He winked at her. It was then that she realized that this Shinozaki wasn't exactly the man who'd been her Sempai. His bushy brown hair was shaved, save for a slicked back mohawk. He had several piercings, one in his left nostril, two in his left eyebrow, and three in his left ear, all small, silver rings. Except, there was no middle ring on his ear. She saw the small hole, and to her amazement, a tiny silver stud materialized in its place.

"The rings can heal an individual, but they take awhile to grow back."

Makoto continued to stare at the man who was both familiar, and strange to her. His slacks were black dress pants, clearly freshly pressed. His black shoes gleamed from a fresh spit shine. He wore a cream colored vest over a white shirt under a baize trench coat. She looked at the sheen of his shoes, then looked around the dark abyss that surrounded her.

"It's a sub-dimensional fold. We're still under the bridge, but we're going to exit in the park behind a row of bushes. Secrecy and all that. But you'd understand that, wouldn't you, Sailor Jupiter?"

She swallowed hard again.

"The people who rescued me are hunters of the supernatural. They take an interest in fellow hunters such as you."

"How?"

"Your blood. When that lion monster attacked you and I fell, you gave me your blood to save my life. We are connected, now and forever. It took several months for our seers to zoom in on your identity." He shrugged. "It should have only taken a few days, but there are many protective charms in place that make people suddenly remember another urgent task while trying to seek out your secrets. Eventually, we broke through."

Makoto walked up to him and took his face in her hands. She was taller by a couple centimeters, now. They had been eye to eye the last time she saw him. "When my boyfriend dumped me, what did you do for me?"

"You mean…"

"Don't speak his name," she snapped.

Shinozaki flashed her a disarming smile. "You had dropped your umbrella and ran…"

Makoto pulled him in and kissed him passionately on the lips, and he returned the kiss. After what seemed like less than a heartbeat, the kiss ended, and Shinozaki gently pushed her away.

"Change of plans. The weather's taken a turn for the worse." He traced a small doorway with his finger. "This will get you back to the shrine."

"When will I see you again?"

Shinozaki smiled at her. "Buy some blinds for that window." He winked at her. "Unless you want me to see… more of you." The doorway opened and she felt herself falling away from him. In another instant, she was in darkness, with a slit of light in front of her. She grabbed at it what felt like the inside of a door and slid it open. She crawled out to see the other Senshi staring at her. She was in the living room at the Shrine.

*.*.*

Tetsuya's head swam like he was hung over. Or, at least, he assumed that was what being hung over was like. He'd never been drunk in his entire life. His mouth felt a little funny when he choked and puked after trying to down a shot of vodka on a bet from a girl at his last school, but he was pretty sure that the few drops that didn't get wretched or the few molecules that were absorbed into his gums didn't cause him to be drunk. Long story short, he lost the bet, and rather than going on a date with him, the girl shaved his head right before he switched schools. Life was funny like that…

He pushed that disastrous attempt at a girlfriend out of his mind and focused on the present. It had been a few days since the girl of his dreams, whom he'd never dreamed of before their meeting as she was so much taller than him, had crushed said dreams by shattering his heart. He had really loved her, and he was confident that she had really loved him. But in the end, an older love came back into her life, and he was out. At least this time, he got to keep his hair, which was still recovering from the vodka incident.

It was a Thursday evening, and from the squawking over the emergency broadcast system, the tropical depression's mood had improved to a tropical storm. Perhaps it would become an official hurricane by the time the center hit Tokyo Bay. Either way, he had another day to finish off those pesky formulas for his now delayed math exam. Maybe he would get some help. Maybe Ami was trapped with them!

"Oh, Amiko…" Tetsuya sighed. Had things gone a millimeter in another direction, he would have become good friends with the girl formerly known as Koko, and asked Ami out instead. He smirked at the thought of how close he had been to asking Minako out, had it gone a millimeter in the other direction. What was he thinking?! That girl was _way_ out of his league. He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

And that was what he did. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed himself to sleep. He was in the prime of his life, he had more friends than he had fingers, and he slept peacefully knowing that the Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Mask, and the mysterious Journeyman, whoever they all were, were standing the watch and keeping those obnoxious space aliens at bay.

*.*.*

*.*.*

*.*.*

Author's Note: Happy Sunday! Chapter Six will be up on the 16th!  
Also, if you can't spot the pigeon in a poker game… I got some bad news for ya!


End file.
